Oakville man preps for chilly swim in Chile

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An Oakville man is training to be the 22nd person to swim across the Straits of Magellan in Chile.

Madhu Nagaraja is what you’d call an extreme adventurer.

He’s run a week long marathon in the Sahara Desert and swam across the English Channel.

Saturday he was wading into Lake Ontario to simulate the conditions he’s set to conquer in Chile.

“It’s known for its waves and winds. The winds can be about 180 knots, 20 foot waves. ”

When he attempts his swim in a couple of weeks the water will be an inhospitable 5 degrees celsius.

But he’s not alone he says.

“Every Saturday and Sunday there are 10 to 15 people waiting for me to make sure that I’m safe in the lake. When I get out of the lake they take care of me, and make sure I can come back because I’ve reached a state of hypothermia.”

The swim he’s attempting has proved fatal for some. Nagaraja loves the challenge but he says it’s not just about the swim.

“The strength of this whole being of our fellowship, and everybody is committed to this sole objective of me getting across.”

For more info:

http://itsnotaboutswimming.com