Courtesy of Nejib Belhedi, Oued Mallegue Dam Lake, Tunisia.
Nejib Belhedi reported an estimated 3 km swim in 43 minutes – very impressively fast – in 2.5°C water of Tunisia’s Oued Mallegue Dam Lake. The fast ice swim was televised nationally by several broadcasters: Watanya TT, Nessma TV, Hannibal TV and covered by several national radio stations.
Video of this month’s swim will be forthcoming.
Belhedi explained his swim, “The Tunisian Armed Forces, the National Guard, the Security Forces, and people of Tunisia are together fighting terrorism. The dam is located in northwest Tunisia in a forest surrounded by beautiful mountains. I was protected during my ice swimming by the security forces, the Tunisian Army, the local fishermen of the lake, and the people of the village of Nabeur and Oued Mallegue. Such security predispositions does not reflect the growth of strength of terrorism, but it’s a very positive communal spirit state of vigilance acquired and became integrated into daily social activities. That’s why terrorism is receding in Tunisia day by day.
I slapped the concrete of dam as a symbol of force, determination and obstination of our armed forces and people fighting against terrorism.”
His plans together with the authorities of the Oued Mallegue Lake Dam is to use the dam as an Ouma venue, an ice swimming venue, an open water swimming training venue, and as a course for domestic and international races.
“I want to give gratitude to the Governor of Kef, the Delegator of Nebeur, the Commissary of Youth of Sport of Kef, the Commissary of Agricuture of Kef, the National Guard of Kef, the Civil Protection Agency of Kef, the 2nd Brigade and the 14th Mechanical Regiment of Tunisian Army, the Service Agency of the Dam of Oued Mallegue, the Youth’s Complex Agency of Kef, Lady Souad Belarbi Chawali-Auberge Barrage Mallegue, the local fishermen of Oued Mallegue Dam, the people of Kef, Nabeur and Oued Mallegue, Radio KEF, RTCI, Diwan, Radio Sfax, Tunisian TV, Tunivision, and High Light.”
Nearly four years ago, Belhedi began his cold water training by swimming 6 km in the same dam in 5°C water (see video below):
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