When most people think of record-breaking swimmers, they likely form an image of someone like the lean, long-limbed Michael Phelps. But in endurance swimming, Phelps could never come close to the records set by the eccentric, overweight, over-50, hard-drinking Slovenian Martin Strel. His feats have included swimming the lengths of the Mississippi, the Danube, the Yangtze and the Amazon — months-long undertakings each of them — to draw attention to endangered waterways.
The feature-length documentary Big River Man, premiering Jan. 9 on Planet Green (HD), looks at Strel the man and chronicles his most demanding swim — a 3,200-mile, 66-day journey that took Strel from the Amazon headwaters in Peru to the mouth of the river on the Brazilian coast. Humorous, exciting and inspiring, it won the World Cinema Cinematography Award for documentary at 2009’s Sundance Film Festival.
After I saw it, I knew I had to talk to this man about his incredible feat. I was prepared to handle an interview anytime to accommodate the Central European/Central Standard time zone shift. Fortunately, Strel was in Tennessee, where he was visiting friends and practicing his English. He has a charming accent, and I left his syntax in his replies. Our conversation occasionally required the assistance of Kathy McGowan, a naturopathic medicine specialist who takes care of Strel’s health — a difficult job since Strel so often tests his limits.
The documentary tells the story of your swim in the icy creek when you were very small to escape a beating from your father, but what made you go into distance swimming?
Martin Strel: Some people maybe swim across the river. But when I was 7 or 8 years old, I swam very, very long, for hours and hours. Who knows? Maybe I was born like this.
When you are all alone on the water, and it is calm, what do you think about?
In my head there are thousands and thousands of different stories. You have to talk to yourself a lot. You have to be very busy in your head because the power is your mind. My mind is power, not my body.
How are these swims financed?
The Amazon trip was very expensive, but I have very good connections with governments like China, South American governments, and Slovenian government, too. But it is very difficult to find money. Amazon project took me almost two or two and a half years to organize. Not just money — how to prepare myself, how to find people for different countries. I need many people around me on the long swims.
Do you swim a lot between trips to keep in shape?
Not just swim. I train with hiking and skiing and other things. I train three to five hours a day. Training is very important. There is special food, special drinking. The psychology is the biggest problem, I think. To spend 10, 12, 14 hours a day on the Mississippi or 16 hours a day on the Amazon — it is Ironman every day for me.
You aren’t built like a champion swimmer, but on the other hand Michael Phelps couldn’t do what you do, could he?
I’m not Michael Phelps. I need fat. At the end of the Amazon, I am almost 50 pounds lost.
All the swims, it was between 40 and 50 pounds lost. To swim, it is a very good, very special diet. You can eat and you can drink anything you want any time of day. It is not good to spend more than 7,000 calories [a day] but I need for one day more than 10,000 calories.
What were some of the worst problems with the Amazon? Did you have any close encounters with the wildlife?
Pirates, piranhas, for last three weeks, especially last two weeks. It’s a lot of mud. It’s not polluted water but a lot of parasites were in my body. It’s a very big question how to find the right medical team that understands tropical diseases. And in the Amazon is everything against you, even people.
Kathy McGowan: If you look at Martin’s body, he was bitten by many piranhas and has a huge piranha bite on his back.
Martin Strel: The heat from the boat was very dangerous [it attracted large fish]. There were bull sharks all around us. And the dolphins followed me almost all the way. We were very good friends all the way.
When you left the water for the towns, and everyone was cheering and clapping, was it a good thing? You seemed so upset by the crowds.
I need minutes to unlock my mind and wash my face and mouth with whiskey to clean it. Then we can start to eat together.
McGowan: Martin appreciates the celebration, but he has to be in a different mindset to do what he does in these marathon swims. He doesn’t want to be rude to these people, so he does his best to try to show them his appreciation. But it is a difficult transition, from a psychological standpoint.
Strel: Swimming is a good university for all of us.
After the Amazon, will you swim another river? If so, which one?
There was a lot of swims — very, very dangerous. I am not so clear in my mind what to do after Amazon. This is a big question in my head.
I would like to be with people to make clear that Amazon is the most precious river in the world. Most people don’t understand what means Amazon for our world. People like talking to me, to touch me and see my back. After this I think I will find something new for myself.
But is very important to know that just one person can make a difference in the world.
At present Strel is touring to promote Big River Man and to raise awareness about the devastation of the rainforest. There is also a link on his website, challenging people to take better care of their bodies. The site for the film and the swimmer is amazonswim.com
