André Wiersig
André Wiersig (born May 20, 1972 in Bochum ) is a German extreme swimmer . He is the first German swimmer and the sixteenth overall to complete the Ocean's Seven , the greatest challenge in long-distance swimming.
Private
The father of two describes his extreme challenges as self-determined goals, which he achieves through specially developed methods despite his job and family. Wiersig works as a speaker and trainer for companies, schools and universities, among others. He also supported the “I Can Swim!” Program of the First Paderborn Swimming Club of 1911 eV through donations, which enables small children to get the seahorse badge and learn to swim.
Career
Wiersig joined a swimming club at the age of eleven. In his youth he was active in triathlon, first over the Olympic distance, and later in the Ironman. From 2006 to 2008 he was the elite track rider of the Hanoverian Cycling Club from 1912 .
After training as a shopping assistant, he began studying business administration at the University of Paderborn in 1995 , which he broke off in 1998 after finding a job during an internship. His main job is in the IT industry.
In terms of sport, he developed a passion for extreme swimming . After crossing the English Channel in 2014, he turned to the Ocean's Seven challenge, which the American Steven Munatones launched in 2009 as a competition based on the Seven Summits . By crossing the 14.4 km of the Strait of Gibraltar on June 9, 2019, he was the sixteenth person ever and the first German to successfully complete the Ocean's Seven.
André Wiersig is the official ambassador of the German Marine Foundation .
The stations of the Ocean's Seven
- English Channel : England - France on September 2, 2014, 33.8 km in 9:43 hours
- Northern Channel : Northern Ireland - Scotland on August 28, 2016, 34.5 km in 12:17 hours
- Santa Catalina Canal: Santa Catalina Island - Los Angeles on July 20, 2017, 32.3 km in 9:48 hours
- Tsugaru Street : Honshū - Hokkaidō on July 11, 2018, 19.5 km in 12:55 hours
- Cook Strait : South Island (New Zealand) - North Island (New Zealand) on May 2, 2019, 22.5 km in 8:02 hours
- Strait of Gibraltar : Spain - Morocco on June 9, 2019, 14.4 km in 4:17 hours
Other sporting successes
In 2002 he won the Ironman Wisconsin in his age group and was thirteenth overall. At the Ironman Hawaii 2003, Wiersig took 183rd place.
On June 24, 2006, he became Lower Saxony's national track champion in the omnium discipline (elite men).
In preparation for his crossing of the English Channel, he won the Lake Zurich marathon swimming in his age group in 2013 and took 3rd place in the overall standings (26 km in 7:43 hours).
Individual evidence
- ^ German Marine Foundation : New Ambassador: Extreme Swimmer André Wiersig
- ↑ LongSwims Database: André Wiersig
- ↑ Athlinks: Kona Ironman World Championship
- ↑ rad-net: Result of LV championships in rail 2006 on June 24th, 2006
- ↑ Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team: 26th Int. Self-Transcendence Marathon Swim, Rapperswil - Zurich 26.4 km, August 4, 2013
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wiersig, André |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German extreme swimmer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 20, 1972 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bochum |