By Sakshi Sah
Published Dec 02, 2024

Hindustan Times
Trending

Photo Credit: Instagram/@guinnessworldrecords

Meet the man who swam 45 hours in a counter-current pool

Maarten Van Der Weijden 🇳🇱 holds the record for the longest continuous swim in a counter-current pool.

Photo Credit: Instagram/@maartenvanderweijden

He holds the record for swimming continuously for 45 hours in Vught, North Brabant, Netherlands.

Photo Credit: Instagram/@ guinnessworldrecords

A leukaemia survivor and Olympic champion, Maarten dedicated the swim to his late "best buddy", who died at 45.

Photo Credit: Instagram/@guinnessworldrecords

Born in 1981, he became a promising junior swimmer, specialising in long-distance events (400m and above).

Photo Credit: Instagram/@guinnessworldrecords

In 2000, he switched to open water swimming, finishing in the top 10 in the 5km and 10km races at the FINA World Championships.

Photo Credit: Instagram/@maartenvanderweijden

He trained in Eindhoven with the legendary Pieter Van Den Hoogenband.

Photo Credit: Instagram/@maartenvanderweijden

Maarten Van Der Weijden was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, a form of blood cancer, in 2001.

Photo Credit: Instagram/@maartenvanderweijden

After a number of tough chemotherapy treatments and a stem cell transplant, he recovered and in the following years he resumed swimming.

Photo Credit: Instagram/@maartenvanderweijden

In March 2009 he wrote an autobiography about how he dealt with his disease.

Photo Credit: Instagram/@maartenvanderweijden

In August 2018 and June 2019, Maarten swam the Eleven Cities Tour, 195 kilometres through the Dutch province of Friesland.

Photo Credit: Instagram/@maartenvanderweijden