Reutter extreme athletes are preparing for crossing the sleeve!

Reutter extreme athletes are preparing for crossing the sleeve!

Reutte, Österreich - An exciting adventure is imminent for the 25-year-old extreme athlete Liam Poberschnigg from Reutte. The ambitious swimmer has set himself the goal of crossing the legendary English Channel in 2026. He recently mastered the qualification conditions in Dover with flying colors. The challenge consisted of six hours of swimming in the open sea, with a cool water temperature of 13.8 degrees Celsius and in normal bathing clothing - without protecting a wetsuit. He not only had to deal with cold water, but also with waves and jellyfish, which demanded great demand. This qualification is the first step on the way to one of the most challenging goals in open water swimming.

For the sustainably challenging swimming route of around 33 to 34 kilometers, which runs between Dover and Calais, Poberschnigg has a idiosyncratic plan. With an targeted time of around 14 hours, he is determined to realize this dream. The current record for the fastest crossing is 6 hours and 45 minutes, set up by Andreas Waschburg in 2023.

intensive training and mental preparation

his intensive training, which takes place five times a week, is impressive. He regularly swims at the Urisee and Plansee. The training sessions last at least two hours, with special interval exercises that bring him to the limits of his physical skills. For example, he swims four lengths of Lake Plansee without a break, which takes about three hours. This discipline is essential to prepare for the unpredictable conditions of the channel.

Not only the body is prepared for the strain of crossing, the spirit also plays a crucial role. Poberschnigg has acquired a special mental technology: he distracts himself with thoughts or songs while swimming to master the long hours in the water. The intensive training continues until autumn before there is a phase of the reduction in winter to start again in spring.

The big goal is before

The crossing of the English Channel is planned for the week from July 7th to 13th, 2026. Historically, the English Channel represents one of the most used waterways, and swimming is not without reason that one speaks with respect. Since the first successful swimming through Captain Matthew Webb 1875, which took over 21 hours, brave swimmers have been in the tradition of canal swimming. Wikipedia emphasizes that most swimmers start at their first major challenge at the English Channel. This is the first step in fulfilling further challenges, such as the famous Ocean’s Seven.

like Liam Poberschnigg itself, many swimmers train for the demanding crossing. Over 3,000 successful crossings have been registered so far, with more and more swimmers being managing the channel without a wetsuit. With every training day, Poberschnigg feels that he is on the best way to realize his dream. All eyes will be aimed at him when he dares to cross - a real challenge that requires not only endurance and strength, but also enormous courage.