LONGEST CONTINUOUS SWIM BY A MAN IN A COUNTER CURRENT POOL

30h World Record – Alberto Lorente

This last Sunday 28th June at 5pm Alberto Lorente completed a 30 hours swim, the longest continuous swim in a counter current pool.

He set out this challenge for a donation campaign to benefit Ronald McDonald House who helps to keep families with sick children to stay together during long-term hospitalization.

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The challenge took place in a private house from one of his friends in Cardedeu, Catalonia, Spain, starting on the 27th June at 11am.

Surrounded by his family and closest friends, full of energy, fresh and with a big smile on his face, Alberto started to swim.

Two hours and a half after the start he made his first “pit stop”, drinking and eating to be able to keep swimming for the next 27,5h.

Some more stops of about 5-6 minutes followed, till the night arrived.

Bringing with him last year’s experience swimming 24 hours in a small lake in San José de la Rinconada, Sevilla, Alberto understands that this is one of the toughest moments of any challenge.

Tired after 11 hours swimming, his hands completely cracked, but thanks to his perfectionism, strong spirit and mental strength together with the words of encouragement from his friends, he could overcome one of the most difficult moments of this enormous challenge.

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6am, Sunrise.

The good mood returns. After a couple of hours, his wife Sandra, his 2 years old children, Alberto Jr., Janeth and his parents Javi and Mati, come back to the pool where Alberto is swimming and give him another push of encouragement to keep swimming.

He’s very close to beat the former world record set in 25 hours… and the moment arrives. Loud music from Manolo Carrasco “Non stop dreaming” (No dejes de soñar) -one of Alberto’s favourites songs-, contained party, first screams of joy, a big banner showing the stablished new World Record, but Alberto keeps his feet on the ground -or better to say, arms inside the water-, patient, knowing that there’s still 5 hours to go. 4 hours… 3 hours… 2 hours… and the dreaded “wall” arrives. Hypothermia, stomach-ache, fatigue and many more of these typical symptoms that any marathon athlete has experienced at least once in his or her life.

A few minutes after, recovered and encouraged by all presents screaming his name, he goes back to the pool for the last hour and a half of swimming strokes.

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1 hour… last minutes… and finally done!!!!!!!

The expected moment has arrived!!!!!! Alberto has completed the longest continuous swim in a counter current pool stablishing a new World Record.

Now it’s time for celebration. Exhausted, without feeling his hands, with “We are the champions” song played loudly in the background, his friends help him to get out of the water.

The emotion lived cannot be described in words. Some people are crying, full of tears of proudness. All these moments of suffering, pain, contained joy, just vanish.

Alberto merges himself with the applause of the people who love him, those who’ve been supporting him for all the 30 hours.

These are the short best little moment of life.

Not only for the achievement, but because of the carness and love from our best friends and family, the real and authentic reason of life.

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Not everyone can achieve such a huge heroicity, just a few select guys with a big and tender heart, those from people whom are made of something special: guys like Alberto.

He’s been educated in a family of great values like altruism, goodness, honesty, commitment… values that helped him build a strong and self-confident personality to beat all his personal battles to be able to help others.

Congratulations, Alberto! For what you have achieved and for the reason and the ones you did it, the sick children and his families.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

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