SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews / 03 June) — After surviving the icy-cold waters in New York, United States last month, triathlete and environmental lawyer Ingemar “Pinoy Aquaman” Macarine will endure a record-setting 12-kilometer open water swim across Macajalar Bay, between Misamis Oriental and Camiguin Island on Sunday, June 4.
Macarine will kick off from the volcanic island to Balingoan town in Misamis Oriental.
He is gunning for his 30th successful open-water swim since he started his open-water swim in December 31, 2013 in Surigao City.
Last May 14, the Pinoy Aquaman successfully swam the 8.4-kilometer distance, nonstop and unassisted, in one hour and 49 minutes from Newburgh-Beacon Bridge to Bannerman Island in New York, the only Filipino so far to do it.
Macarine, who hails from Placer, Surigao del Norte, said this is part of his preparation for the English Channel swim this year. In August last year, he failed in his bid in the English Channel due to bad weather.
Early this year, Macarine planned to do two-way swim from Camiguin to Baligoan and back to volcanic island to come up with a total of 24-kilometer distance but he cancelled due to typhoon “Auring.”
Macarine got into open-water swims as part of his lifetime advocacy for clean seas, marine resource protection, environmental tourism and climate change awareness. But for this particular swim, Macarine dedicated this for peace in Mindanao.
“I am a Mindanawon and I dedicate this particular swim for peace in Mindanao particurly in war-torn city of Marawi,” Macarine told MindaNes.
Tomorrow’s record-setting swim is being sponsored by Dagohoy Masonic Lodge 84 of Bohol headed by worshipful master Atty. Lord “Cocot” Marapao. (Roel N. Catoto / MindaNews)