The Joys and Challenges of Swimming by Antonio Argüelles

In the book El mar ya casi termina – basada en la vida de Antonio Argüelles (The sea is almost over), Oceans Seven swimmer Antonio Argüelles (@arguelles7mares) was inspired by Mexican Olympic swimming champion Felipe Muñoz at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games when he won the 200-meter breaststroke – and, as a result, how swimming became Argüelles’ passion.

In his subsequent books (A cada brazada: el azul interminable or Each Stroke: Endless Blue in English that he wrote with Nora Toledano, @noratoledanoswim) and Travesía Interminable (The Forever Swim in English that he wrote with Adam Skolnick @adamskolnick), Argüelles describes other challenges, obstacles, frustrations, and successes.

Like his crossings of the English Channel, his routes to success are never in a straight line. The currents, tidal flows, and waves take him to stay in the water longer and require more effort that he originally thought. The jellyfish and cold present other obstacles that are painful and difficult to overcome.

But his life did not start off simple. He was a young Mexican teenager who entered Stanford University and had to work extra hard to graduate.

He is learning once again how challenging life in the open water can be. He tells his most recent obstacles in achieving his dreams.

The Joy of Swimming

Three years ago, after 23 hours and 15 minutes of constant swimming — having covered 88 kilometers — and only 4 kilometers from the English coast, I had to end my attempt at a double crossing of the English Channel.

Throughout the swim, I had felt very ill, with vomiting from the second hour and hypothermia by the end. I could not make any sense of what had happened, and it wasn’t until I was admitted to a hospital in Paris that I found out I had a biliary obstruction that had progressed to pancreatitis.

Once I recovered, I charted the route for my next two-way crossing attempt. As often happens with the English Channel, there were no available slots for the next two years. But I was able to secure a slot for the end of September 2024: my window would be from the 25th to the 30th of last month.

Notification

I never felt at ease with that window because the 2024 season would be nearly over by then. However, that was the slot I had, and I was going to have to adapt. What I never imagined was that a day before leaving for Dover from Mexico City, I would receive an email from Simon Ellis, my boat captain @channel_swimming_pilotage.

The message was devastating. It read,

Hello Antonio,

I would suggest cancelling and staying at home as the weather for next week is still showing strong winds with a 0% chance of swimming if this changes, then I will let you know.

We continue our swim season in October and would suggest we try and get you across the channel then.

Best Regards,

Simon Ellis

Exploring Options

After processing the news, I contacted Simon by phone to explore my options. As expected, there was no possibility of rescheduling the swim to 2025 or 2026. Both seasons were already fully booked. I would have to wait until 2027 or try again between October 9th and 14th, almost at the end of the season.

I decided to give it a shot, even knowing that by then, the water temperature would be below 17°C and the days would be shorter. An autumn swim.

In the days leading up to my trip to Dover and once there, all the weather forecasts indicated that it would take a miracle for me to make my double crossing attempt.

Decision

Despite my mother’s prayers, the miracle never came, and along with Simon, I decided to postpone the swim until 2027.

Reflection

At the end of our conversation, many images and thoughts passed through my mind, in addition to the overwhelming emotions. I would have to find a way to process what had happened.

When facing adverse situations, a multitude of questions usually come to mind.

Could the outcome have been different? I find it unlikely, as I did not like the date from the start. At the time, I accepted it because it was what was available.
Should I have ended the project after the message receiving on Friday, September 20th? It probably would have been the most logical thing to do, but one clings to their desires. Additionally, I thought I would never forgive myself if I decided to cancel the trip and then the perfect day occurred on the new date.
Could the weather have been different? Perhaps, but it wasn’t, and I will have to live with this experience.

Frustration

The frustration of not being able to swim is immense. It was three years of intense training, countless trips to stay acclimated to the cold, and a significant financial investment.

Definitely, the pain of the loss is great, but there is a possibility of salvaging something positive from the process. If I think about the swims, there remains the 40 Bridges double circumnavigation of Manhattan Island in 2022 (19 hours 50 minutes), the SCAR Swim Challenge in 2024 (22 hours 0 minutes), and my 28-hour training session in La Jolla in May 2024.

Self Assessment

As for my physical condition, I have improved my swimming technique and increased my mobility and strength, which allows me to not only be more efficient in the water, but also have enough energy and strength to play with my granddaughter Aurelia.

In terms of health, my hyperactivity and hypertension are under control, I have maintained normal glucose levels, and overall, I feel good every day. I live without pain.

However, what makes these difficult moments more bearable is that I live happily while swimming. I enjoy swimming very much. My daily joy in the water — whether it’s a training session in the pool, Las Estacas, or the sea — is more powerful than the feeling of sadness I harbor at the moment.

The Future

What’s next?

I will enjoy a few days of vacation before returning to Mexico, all of October without visiting the pool (let’s see if I can manage that decision), negotiating a good date for 2027, and having a long strategy session with my coaches Rafa Álvarez @elrafaalvarez, Ricardo Durón @ricduron, and Jaime Delgado @delgadoorea as well as Dr. Ariadna del Villar @docdeldeporte to plan the next three years.

There is no doubt that swimming makes the sorrows more bearable.