Born: 14 January 1988
Gender: Man
Country: Venezuela
Crossing Year: 2021
Time: 05 h 21 min 16 sec
Neoprene swimsuit: NO

Swimming is a very popular sport in my hometown, Puerto La Cruz. We were raised by the sea so I’m sure it had something to do with that. But I don’t really remember when I began to swim, it just sort of happened, which is why I don’t really consider myself an athlete. Technically I am, since I like to swim and enjoy outdoor sports, but being referred to as an athlete never stops feeling awkward because it was not really the culture I grew up in.

In 2018, I ran 250 kilometers across the Gobi Desert to fundraise for the Charles Darwin Foundation’s shark conservation efforts in the Galapagos Islands. Three years down the line, the pandemic got me daydreaming about a new adventure, so here I am at my very first marathon swim, and fundraising again for Charles Darwin Foundation.

Donations will be used to continue research on the high-traffic shark migratory route between the Galapagos Islands and Cocos Island. If you’d like to show your support, make a tax-deductible donation.

(Dario Mariani, September 2021)