Noam Yaron, at 27 years old, will attempt the longest swim crossing in the world in support of the environment
Noam Yaron, 27 years old, is about to accomplish an extraordinary feat: swimming across the Mediterranean, from the city of Calvi in Corsica to Monaco. This colossal challenge of over 180 km is expected to be completed by the young man in less than 3 days and 3 nights, without leaving the water! A world first that could break the world record for the longest distance ever swum in a wetsuit without getting out of the water, all in support of Nature. This world record attempt is ratified by World Open Water Swimming Federation.
Sport as a communication vector for Nature
This challenge is part of a global awareness campaign aimed at drawing attention to the importance of water conservation a n d biodiversity protection among the public. Noam is followed by nearly 380,000 people on social media and currently reaches almost 6,400,000 people per month with his communication. These promising performances are what he wants to leverage for the cause. The young athlete doesn't stop there since he managed to unite major conservation actors such as ACCOBAMS and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), they joined the project with the aim of encouraging countries to improve the level of protection in the Mediterranean. The IUCN Red List is recognized as the most reliable reference tool for understanding the level of threats to biodiversity, which is heavily threatened by overfishing, plastic pollution, climate change, water acidification, maritime traffic...
The most polluted sea in the world
According to a recent study, only 0.23% of the Mediterranean Sea is officially designated as highly or fully protected. "This is alarming..." adds Noam Yaron, who recalls the goals adopted by the European Union with the "EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030," which aims, among other things, to strictly protect (10% of the land and) 10% of the EU's seas by 2030. "This is by no means an isolated case," adds the Swiss man, pointing out that the waters of Lake Geneva are just as polluted with microplastics as the Mediterranean Sea.
Innovative fundraising for Nature
"Raising awareness is good, but taking action is better," says the swimmer who is developing an interactive platform with the help of Ufoundation, a nonprofit organization in fintech. How? By preserving one or more of the 180,000 cubic meters along the 180 km route from Calvi to Monaco. Contributors will have the choice to preserve a number of cubic meters equivalent to the size of each of the six iconic Mediterranean species threatened according to the IUCN Red List. Except for the first and the last, each cubic meter will be sold at a flat rate of 5 CHF / € / £ / $, making this innovative fundraising campaign accessible worldwide. Each cubic meter owner will be granted the status of co‐holder of the world record for the longest swim in support of Nature and, through their contribution, will help fund conservation projects in the Mediterranean.
Calvi‐Monaco swim for the environment: a sustainable world Record
Noam Yaron has chosen to accomplish this feat in a wetsuit, thereby avoiding the excessive use of sunscreen, which, if improperly selected, can be harmful to marine ecosystems. He will also use two innovative sunscreens that are 70 to 92% biodegradable. The standby period will extend from Sunday, August 18, in Calvi, to Saturday, August 31, 2024, with an arrival in the Principality no later than Monday, September 2, 2024 at the beach of the Méridien Beach Plaza hotel in Monaco. To officialize this record attempt for Nature, Noam is partnering with World Open Water Swimming Federation.
Challenges history
Noam Yaron is no stranger to such feats. He has already accomplished:
- In 2021, the crossing of Lake Geneva, approximately 80 km swimming in under 20 hours
- In 2022, the crossing of the 5 largest lakes in Switzerland, 188 km of swimming in 11 days
- In 2023, the crossing of Switzerland from east to west through the Alps in a triathlon, 750 km and 13,000 meters of elevation gain
