Monte Monfore Sets Another World Record

A new ocean swimming world record has been set and Monte Monfore is the man again! Early morning Tuesday (3/5) the athlete, who swims for the people of Aceh and to raise awareness of ocean conservation, became the first person ever to swim from Nusa Lembongan Island to Bali, setting a new world record in the process.

Monte started swimming the Badung Strait before sunrise (5:58 am) at Jimbakbatu, Northeast of Nusa Lembongan. He swam toward Kusamba, the closest point to Bali Island. Pulled by strong currents to the south, he reached Lebih Beach, Gianyar at 9:02 am. Despite winds and choppy seas he swam the17 Km distance in 3 hours 4 minutes.
Every 15 to 20 minutes, the marathon swimmer took a 10-15 second drink break to consume an energy drink. While swimming the athlete strictly obeyed the three basic rules of ocean swimming, which are: no fins, no wetsuit, and no touching the boat.
The Californian (USA) swimmer, who loves classical music, art history, and literature, started swimming at 4 years old and began competition at age 6. A champion in his youth, Monte retired from the sport at 18. He attended the University of California at Berkeley where he excelled in water polo and received a bachelor’s degree in Social Science. The English teacher living in Tokyo (Japan) began his ocean swimming career in 1998 when he swam from Bali to Java in 38 minutes breaking the previous world record by nearly an hour. Monte, who is also a surfer, loves Indonesia and has visited Bali more than 20 times.
During the press conference Friday (6/5) at Gado Gado Restaurant in Seminyak Monte was asked why he swims. The ocean lover gave two reasons. “I swim for the people of Aceh and to create awareness of ocean protection. One of my goals is to keep the tsunami victims in the news. Over one billion dollars has been pledged, but this story is no longer front-page news. Many people have forgotten about the Acehnese and I’m trying to relay the message that the difficult part has just begun. People’s lives were devastated and they are just now beginning to rebuild and start over again. They have a long and difficult road ahead so I’m asking for everyone to please not forget them and to please continue supporting their cause.”
“The other reason I swim is because I absolutely love the sea. It’s a beautiful and incredible place…especially here in Indonesia. You know, three fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water. Together with the rain forests, the ocean is the most vital ecosystem on the planet. I plan to continue swimming to encourage people to take care of the sea and keep it clean. It’s our responsibility to protect and safeguard the ocean for future generations.”
In closing Monte expressed his gratitude to his support vessel crew and his main sponsors Paradise Property and Bali Hai Cruises.(BTN/Para)