Courtesy of Canah along the Danube River, Germany.
Romanian Avram Iancu continued on his scheduled 60-day stage swim of 2,860 km along the Danube River through Europe.
The 41-year-old librarian from Petrosani, Transylvania started his stage swim from Donaueschingen in the Black Forest in Germany. He is now heading into Day 24 as each day is a dynamically different replication of the day before.
At the end of Day 23, he was traversed a total of 707 km on the Danube and has a distance of 2,153 km to go in order to reach his goal.
Day 21 on July 10th
Monday was Iancu’s first day in Austria. He swam the first 12 km in still waters before passing another dam, after which he pushed forward for another 8 km before ending the day. He came across some very cold water in the river and had to stop every hour and warm up before getting back in the water in order to avoid developing hypothermia. “This slowed my progress substantially.”
Day 22 on July 11th
On his second day in Austria, Iancu had an early start and swam 20 km, although slowed down by the hourly breaks he was forced to take due to the cold water. He is slowly getting used to the change in water temperature and hopes the water will get warmer as he is trying to stay positive. He reached another dam today but he is determined to move past all the challenges that come his way. “I also passed Schlogen where the Danube has one of the most beautiful loops. Unfortunately I didn’t get to properly enjoy the view because of the cold and the shivering.”
Day 23 on July 12th
Today felt easier compared to the two previous days in Austria. The water temperature is slowly getting warmer and his body is becoming used to the cold. He managed to swim 24 km today and has now only 20 km to Linz, which he will pass tomorrow. “Since Passau, the Danube was flowing through a mountainous area and today I finally reached a more open field. The sun was also shining and because of these reasons I felt amazing: this is the day I regained my hopes and achieved a better mental state.”
A report on his stage swims between Days 1-9 is posted here. A report on his stage swims between Days 10-13 is posted here. A report on his stage swim on Day 14 is posted here. A report on his stage swims between Days 15-16 is posted here. A report on his stage swim on Day 17 is posted here. A report on his stage swim on Day 18 is posted here. A report on his stage swims on Day 19-20 is posted here. To follow Iancu on Facebook, visit here.
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