On March 10, Alexis Wozniak took on the challenge of swimming around the island of Saint-Barthélemy in less than ten hours.
It took 9 hours and 19 minutes of physical and mental effort for the man who has lived and worked in Saint-Barth for six years to succeed in his challenge launched several months ago. Having left Lorient beach around 7 a.m., Alexis Wozniak emerged from the water shortly after 16 p.m. to the applause of dozens of people who came to welcome him and congratulate him on this true sporting feat: going around Saint -Barthélemy swimming simply dressed in swimming goggles, a swimsuit and a swimming cap. By covering 28 kilometers in ideal weather conditions, Alexis Wozniak nevertheless demonstrates ups and downs during his performance, without ever intending to give up: “I invested so much and I had asked so many people to help me. help, volunteers, people who took their time. So I thought about it on the course when I was having low moments. To my family too. » confides the athlete to our colleagues at Journal de Saint-Barth. Initially planned for last December, the tour of the island had to be postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions. This March 10, 2024 will have been an emotionally trying day for the swimmer accompanied and encouraged during his journey by his comrades from the Saint-Barth Triathlon, members of Sup Saint-Barth and finally Arno Apremont, alone on his paddle, who followed the progression of Alexis over the entire duration of her exploit. The swimmer was also followed throughout his crossing by a safety boat equipped with first aid equipment loaned by the NIS company. At the start, Alexis Wozniak, who practiced water polo for 15 years, was plagued by mixed feelings: “I'm not going to lie, I left with doubts. Although I swam a lot to prepare, it was over shorter distances, twelve kilometers maximum. (…) But there, I was tackling more than double that. ». With the fear of having physical complications linked to digestion and cramps during this long-distance event, the athlete stayed the course, on edge: “In two or three minutes, I could go from euphoria, almost having tears in my eyes in my glasses, with complete doubt.” After crossing the critical bar of twelve kilometers of swimming, the maximum training distance, Alexis felt stiffness in the arm, but "the real sensation of a wall (like in a marathon)" only appeared at Anse. des Cayes: “I was getting to the end and then I said to myself that it was starting to be long. And then I took my last refueling (compote or banana eaten while static swimming distributed using a pole, editor's note) and I said to myself 'come on, I'll finish in one go, without stopping'. But I was no longer moving forward, I had the impression of having given everything.” And yet, hearing noises in the distance, Alexis Wozniak realizes the gathering on the beach and the enthusiasm of this crowd who came to celebrate his feat of swimming around the island of Saint-Barth in less than ten hours . _VX
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