Guinness World Records documents and celebrates superlative achievements that are the best in the world.

When I rewatch this Dutch video of Maarten van der Weijden winning the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, years after a three-year struggle with leukemia, I am immediately reminded of remarkable people who make the improbable possible.

With 250 meters to go, Van der Weijden was still at least 3 body lengths behind David Davies at the 2008 Beijing Olympics 10 km marathon swim along the final homestretch. I believe his tremendous finish represents the greatest upset and most moving and unlikely finish of all events throughout modern-day Olympic history,” recalls Steven Munatones. “He is a champion like no other – both during his Olympic career and his post-Olympic career.”

Ten years after that incredible upset, Maarten continues to impress.

In 2018, he raised over 5 million euros as he attempted to swim 200 km non-stop in the Elfstedentocht, Netherlands where he swam 163 km in 55 hours to benefit the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) in a Elfstedentocht Swim.

A year later 2019 with unfinished business on his mind, he completed the 195 km Elfstedentocht Swim in 74 hours 4 minutes. He slept about 6 hours over the three nights between June 21st and 24th.

The two swims represent the two greatest amounts of proceeds from a solo charity open water swim in history.

But 2019 was not the end of his efforts. Like the true marathon swimmer he is, he kept going.

In 2020, he broke the Guinness World Records for farthest and longest continuous swims in a counter-current pool, but his record has since been broken Pablo Fernández Álvarez of Spain. He wants it back – and now his fund-raising efforts have now collectively raised nearly €18,000,000 (US$19,437,390).

Maarten explains, “I will start and finish in the morning. I will start at 5:00 am on December 28th and finish at 2:00 am on December 30th in a few weeks time. I will swim at home in my hometown of Vught in the southern Netherlands that has been named the Best place to live.

With the swim, I want to combine three things:

• I want to memorise my best friend Sebastiaan who died this year in October from lymphoma disease, a cancer of the lymphatic system, at the age of 45.
• I want to celibrate that the Maarten van der Weiden Foundation made 45 cancer research projects possible because we raised almost €18,000,000 (US$19,437,390) the last two years. Every single euro is fully allocated to one of the 45 cancer research projects. We are very very grateful with all the donations that we received so far and will not ask for more with this event.
• I want to break the Guiness World Record.

Information on the cancer projects as well as the livestream are available on www.mvdwfoundation.nl.

Maarten explains more about Sebastiaan, “Two months ago my best buddy Sebastiaan passed away. He only turned 45. The last two more weeks of his life, I was allowed to take care of him. [It was] a hot and intense period. I’m so happy I was able to do that for him.

Unfortunately, it makes the grief and missing it no less. It feels so unfair that Sebastiaan was only allowed to turn 45 years old. That he helped me for many years – as a coach on the boat – raise millions for cancer research. After which he then got ill himself and unfortunately didn’t have the luck to recover.

Everyone fills grief in a different way. For me sport has always been an outlet. Also now, after the death of Sebas. And as the end of the year approaches, I feel the need to close this year and look back on the important events that took place. Both the sad and the beautiful.”

Maarten will swim 45 hours – an hour for every year of Sebastiaan’s life. Every hour, Maarten’s team will light a torch to commemorate Sebastian’s years of life.

But there is more to this effort.

Maarten says, “The number 45 is symbolic for another reason. Because in recent years we have made 45 cancer research possible with the three Elf City tours. I am very grateful for that. Doing such a big event for the fourth time is not obvious. So here too it feels like closure. Not because I’m stopping raising money for cancer research, but I’ll keep doing so. But undoubtedly in a different, more modest form. With the standing promise that 100% of our donations go to cancer research.

If I fill the 45 hours in my power pool, that will be a world record. On the one hand, side business considering the reason I do it. On the other hand a beautiful marking. From my tribute to Sebastiaan and from the 45 researches we funded.”

Historical longest continuous swim in a counter-current pool record progression

• February 2014: Chloë McCardel of Australia set the Longest continuous swim in a counter-current pool in 16 hours at the SPASA Victoria consumer Pool & Spa + Outdoor Living Expo in Australia.
• May 2018: Dennis T. Seiler-Holm of Denmark set the Longest continuous swim in a counter-current pool in 17 hours 7 minutes 1.82 seconds in a Swim Spa in Denform Expo in Aarhus, Denmark.
• October 2019: Yuko Matsuzaki of Japan set a Guinness World Record for the Longest continuous swim in a counter-current pool conducted in an Endless Pool in Seaside Lagoon, Redondo Beach, California after swimming 24 hours 1 minute from 8:00 am on 5 October to 8:01 am on 6 October 2019.
• May 2020: Pablo Fernández Álvarez of Spain set a Guinness World Record for the Longest continuous swim in a counter-current pool conducted in an Endless Pool in Madrid, Spain after swimming 25 hours from 9:00 am on 6 May to 10:00 am on 7 May 2020.
• June 2020: Alberto Lorente of Viladecans, Spain set a record for the Longest continuous swim in a counter-current pool after swimming 30 consecutive hours from 11.00 am on 27 June to 5:00 pm.
• November 2020: Mayra Santos of Brazil/Portugal set a world record for the Longest continuous swim in a counter-current pool in Caniço, Madeira Island, Portugal from 10:00 am on 5 November 2020 to 5:07 pm on 6 November 2020, a total of 31 hours 7 minutes.
• November 2020: Maarten van der Weijden of the Netherlands set a world record of 32 hours 20 minutes 50 seconds for the Longest continuous swim in a counter-current pool in Eindhoven, Netherlands swimming from 9:00 am on 20 November to 5:20 pm on 21 November 2021.
• November 2021: the Longest continuous swim in a counter-current pool was set in 35 hours 20 minutes 50 seconds.
• January 2022: Pablo Fernández Álvarez of Spain set a Guinness World Record for the Longest continuous swim in a counter-current pool conducted in an Endless Pool in Clicars, Madrid, Spain after swimming 36 hours 0 minutes 19 seconds

Note: these swims allow up to 5 minutes per hour for rest, hydration, and restroom breaks.

Photo above on left show Maarten’s feet with their wet-wrinkling response after he was pulled out due to the prolonged time he spent in the water.

© 2018 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

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