Avram Iancu Set to Culminate the Triple Crown of River Stage Swims

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Avram Iancu (49, Romania, MSF bio here, @avramiancu) is off towards his newest adventure.

In 2016, he took 17 hours 54 minutes to cross the 33.5 km English Channel – proving that once he starts something, he will see it to the end.

Eight years later, he returned to the English Channel and crossed 2 hours 24 minutes faster as an older and more hardened open water swimmer.

But where Avram truly shines after nearly a decade in the marathon swimming world is in his chosen form of Speedo Diplomacy.

In 2017, he swam 2,860 km down the entire length of the Danube on a 89-day stage swim, celebrating 10 years since Romania joined the European Union.

In 2023, he swam 1,032 km down the length of the Rhine on a 48-day stage swim for the integration of Romania into the Schengen Space. His Swim for Schengen, Swim for Romania through the heart of Europe from kilometer 0 in Konstanz to the Rhine River’s mouth in the North Sea took 48 days between July and September [photos shown below].

Tomorrow on June 29th, the 48-year-old Romanian adventurer will start the Triple Crown of River Stage Swims by swimming from the North Sea to the Black Sea along the Rhine River, Main River, and Danube River through the heart of continental Europe.

He explains, “If God permits and if the strength holds, I will swim 530 km of the channel that connects the Rhine to the Danube, crossing the Main river starting on June 29th at 10:00 am from the Hilpoltstein hut. I will initially swim downstream towards Mainz – towards the Rhine – then I will return on land at the same conclusion and continue downstream towards the Danube.

His plan is to swim for 40 days between 6 and 8 hours per day, covering up to 20 km per hour.

He describes his goals, “I could become the first person in history to swim across a continent on a river route from sea to sea. My message is Swimming for a United Europe. Our event is held within the international political context. I want Romania to be heard throughout Europe and the world. The only longing of my life is to see my nation happy; I want to see my nation achieving total consensus, at least once in a while, when history imposes it.

I am decorated with the National Order Star of Romania in the rank of a Knight, this swim is a special way that I can promote Romania in the world by connecting the two seas between which we all live. I’ll make small waves, but only together can we make these waves go far.”

His support crew is lead by escort boat pilot Ulise Galu and observer Radu Ileanǎ.