Nobody would bat an eyelid if Russ Cook decided to retire from moving but it appears ‘The Hardest Geezer’ is eyeing up a potential next challenge.
Earlier this year, 27-year-old Cook became the first person to successfully run the length of Africa.
The project saw The Hardest Geezer setting off from Cape Agulhas in South Africa and travelling 16,000km on foot to cross the finish line in Cape Angela, Tunisia.
After completing Project Africa on April 7, he went on to run to every England game at UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany, except the final due to a back injury flare-up.
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Now, it appears the endurance athlete is on the hunt for a new hybrid challenge.
On Thursday (September 25), Cook took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to seemingly gather ideas for his next odyssey.
“What is the most difficult endurance challenge you can think of that has never been done, but you think is humanly possible?” he wrote to his 349,600 followers.
“Pole to pole gotta be up there,” he continued in a separate post.
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“Start in the South Pole, cross Antarctica on foot, then swim across Drakes Passage, run the Americas including the Darien Gap, cross over during winter to the North Pole. 2+ years of a marathon every day. Possible?”
Writing further on the potential mission, Cook explained that the Drake Passage is a body of water stretching between Antarctica and South America.
For those who are unfamiliar, the deep waterway is named after the 16th-century explorer Sir Francis Drake and is thought to be roughly 1000km wide.
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The narrow Passage is considered one of the most treacherous in the world, according to Quark Expeditions.
This is because of strong currents caused by the lack of nearby land as well as the strength and structure of waves which can occur.
“Widely known as the deadliest sea in the world. Never been swam before,” Cook continued to write.
“Heard of a few mad men rowed it though. My feeling is that swimming it is possible.”
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He added: “Would be interested to hear the opinions of people that have worked out in that area.”
Cook is right: no one has ever swam the full length of the 1000km-wide body of water before.
In February 2022, Chilean ice swimmer Barbara Hernandez completed a 1,852-meter swim through the Drake Passage.
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The 36-year-old ‘ice mermaid’ later received an award from Guinness World Records for completing ‘the fastest mile swim of Drake Passage’ in a time of 15 minutes and three seconds.
As per Euro News, The World Open Water Swimming Association also named her as the first person to ever swim three nautical miles (5,500m) between both Oceans.
She completed the total distance in 55 minutes and 17 seconds.
A year later, she made history again by becoming the first person to swim 2,500m in the frozen waters of Antarctica.
Prior to Hernanez’s efforts, six sportsmen wrote their names in the history books by becoming the first team to cross the Drake Passage.
The men’s names were Fiann Paul, Colin O'Brady, Andrew Towne, Cameron Bellamy, John Petersen and Jamie Douglas-Hamilton.
The crew’s 12-day Herculean effort was captured in the 2020 Impossible Row documentary for the Discovery Channel.
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So, what do fans think about the Hardest Geezer taking on the Drake Passage?
“You're looking at a suicide mission,” typed one social media user.
A second commented: “Would have to have a boat following you and have to stop and rest and sleep on the boat then carry on and repeat and do it in small stretches over weeks .. seems the safest way of doing it.”
“Best idea ever. Seems impossible. You’ll make it,” gushed someone else.
A fourth penned: “I don’t think anyone would judge you harshly if you did a pole to pole trip but opted to get a boat through the Drake passage.
“Maybe run around the boat non-stop whilst it crosses the passage. But don't swim it. The world needs people like you alive, mate.”
Topics: World News, Sport, Extreme Sports, Charity
Ella Scott