Disabled athlete in Menlo Park units out to swim 26 miles on his birthday

MENLO PARK, Calif. – A former Olympic hopeful whose desires had been derailed by a catastrophic accident is proving that mindset can overcome bodily limitations by making an attempt a marathon swim at an area pool in Menlo Park.

Marathon swim

What we all know:

Aleksei Averchenko entered the water at 6 a.m. Wednesday with the purpose of swimming 26.2 miles, the equal distance of a working marathon. The feat marks a big milestone in a journey that started with a life-altering tragedy.

Two and a half years in the past, Averchenko was knowledgeable triathlete with aspirations of competing on the world stage and within the Olympics. However, his profession got here to a sudden halt in late 2023 when a driver crashed into his bike, breaking his backbone.

While the damage left Averchenko unable to run or bike, he devoted himself to re-learning the way to swim. He stated the problem is a solution to show he nonetheless possesses the mindset of a world champion, even when his physique presents limits.

“I always wanted to go to the Olympics, and it didn’t happen,” Averchenko stated. “After the accident, it was a hard stop, and I felt inside something was not finished yet. For some reason I felt like I am not done with this chapter; I wanted to do something else.”

In addition to his private coaching, Averchenko now coaches aspiring younger triathletes, a few of whom are anticipated to go to the pool later immediately to indicate their assist.

Averchenko estimates the swim will take roughly 12 hours to finish. 

To keep his vitality ranges all through the day, he plans to devour about 4 kilos of sugar within the type of liquid gels.

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED in serving to Averchenko, click here. 

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