French swimmer Arthur Germain began his 784km swim along the entire length of the Seine today.
The 19-year-old son of Paris’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, left from the river’s source in Burgundy at noon on Sunday. He expects to cover 15 to 20km a day and reach its outlet at Le Havre in 52 days.
No one else has ever swum the entire length of the Seine. As an added wrinkle, he will pull a kayak behind him with gear and supplies, so that he can camp en route at least part of the time.
Germain wants to draw attention to pollution in the Seine. He himself was vaccinated against leptospirosis, a bacteria found in the river’s water, before leaving.
Germain will not be totally unsupported but will camp part of the time. Photo: Arthur Germain
