Swims Of Peace From The Sahara To The Arctic Circle
Nejib Belhedi has been extremely busy and successful organizing a number of international swims over the last few months. Belhedi will swim with a number of successful channel swimmers including Adam Walker, Haydn Welch, Jackie Cobell, Dave Cobell, Nicola Fraser, Silke Fraser, Rebecca Jarre, Thomas Noblett, Claire Noblett, Keith Bartolo, Gabriele Galli, and Mauro Giaconia in the Swim of Peace Ouma – Djerba on June 2nd.
“It is declared a Day of Peace on Djerba Island where representatives of the open water swimming world are coming together in Djerba to celebrate peace, tolerance and dialog between countries and cultures,” explains Belhedi.
In addition, in preparation for his Bering Strait swim in August, he is preparing a major communication link between the children of Mrazig who live in the Sahara Desert near Douz Village and the children on Diomede Islands in the Arctic Circle.
“The official ceremony will celebrate this Action of Peace on May 14th,” explains Belhedi. “The ceremony consists of 12 children, 6 young girls and 6 boys, dressed in traditional Saharian attire who will create the history of peace across the world in writing their letter of peace on the leather of camels for their Eskimo children friends, the Inupiaqs of Diomede within the Arctic Circle. It will be televised on Al Wataniya TV1.
Then I will go with my doctor Professor Dhaker Lahidheb, American coach Carol Breiter and Carolyn Burns, our medical coordinator, to the Bering Strait in August. This will be a story of a man from the Mediterranean who is determined to leave his warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea and cross Bering Strait as a swimmer and a messenger of peace, bearing letters from the Saharian children to their Eskimo friends.”
Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
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