TAGBILARAN CITY -- Lawyer Ingemar Macarine said on Tuesday that his attempt to cross the English Channel and make history in August 2018 will be his last.
Known as the “Pinoy Aquaman,” Macarine said age has started to catch up with him.
Macarine gained popularity after TV networks and other media outlets documented his exploits as the only man in the country indulged in open-water swimming.
He added that his health and the cost of crossing the channel are other reasons why the attempt in August 2018 will be his last.
The cost of the boat charter during an attempt is about PHP200,000, he said.
He added that he has occasional asthma and hypertension, which made him to re-think about any other attempts to cross the English Channel.
The English Channel is the "Mt. Everest summit" for all open-water swimmers.
Seven Filipinos have already conquered Mt. Everest, but no Filipino has been able to swim across the 21-mile distance (33.8 kilometers) across the English Channel.
Nonetheless, Macarine is busy preparing his body for the biggest challenge this fall in the United Kingdom and finally make history for open-water sport in the Philippines.
The native of Placer, Surigao del Norte was successful in another pioneering swim last Sunday when he crossed non-stop and unassisted from Baclayon town's Pamilacan Island to Barangay Bolod in Panglao town.
He managed to finish the course in six hours and 43 minutes, covering a distance of 17.83 kilometers.
The latest long-distance swim was among the series of sorties Macarine will be making to prepare for August 2018.
He said after last Sunday's swim, he is scheduled to swim for 12 kilometers from Ticao Island to Masbate City on December 10.
Macarine, who is a lawyer by profession and election officer of Tubigon town in Bohol, will also make about two or three marathon swims covering 10 kilometers or more next year as part of his training for the English Channel.
He used to do triathlons, but an injury prompted him to consider open-water swimming and give it a try. He then never looked back but swam to become the “PinoyAquaman.”
Only a few open-water swimmers have been able to cross the English Channel. In fact, last year, a couple of weeks before Macarine's attempt, a swimmer lost his life attempting to cross the channel.
The number one challenge in swimming across the channel is the cold water temperature.
The nearest point between the United Kingdom and France is about 21 miles. It will take 12 to 15 hours to complete the swim and one has to swim in waters with a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius.
Sudden change of the weather can also be a huge challenge.
Macarine said, in essence, he only made one attempt, which was last year. The year was not really an attempt since he was stalled by bad weather.
His real attempt was in 2016 where he already swam for an hour, covering a distance of four kilometers, only to stop due to bad weather. (Dave Albarado/PNA)
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Topic: Pinoy Aquaman' to cross English Channel in 2018 (Read 216 times)