Group photo of the swimmers during their training camp
Youngest member: First challenge with the sea
Among the team, 26-year-old Gu Chenyi is the youngest, a full 40 years younger than the oldest member, 66-year-old Zhu Xianliang.
Gu Chenyi was born in Chongchuan District, Nantong City, and has been “exposed” to swimming pools since the age of 4, taken there by his mother Zhao Ming. Growing up in an outdoor pool forged an inseparable bond between him and the sport of swimming. At the end of last year, he and his mother Zhao Ming signed up for this swim together. For Gu Chenyi, this is his first time having close contact with the sea. “I had some anxiety and fear before, but the moment I jumped into the sea today, those feelings disappeared instantly,” Gu Chenyi told Modern Express with a smile. The seawater doesn’t have the pungent smell of pool water, and the air is very comfortable, which instantly lifted his mood.
But Gu Chenyi was deeply impressed by yesterday morning’s “trial swim.” “There are quite a few marine creatures in the sea. If you bump into a poisonous jellyfish, it can really hurt,” Gu Chenyi said. To ensure safety, they all prepared wetsuits this time.
Gu Chenyi and his mother Zhao Ming are taking on the challenge together, becoming the first mother-son duo to swim across the Qiongzhou Strait. Zhu Xianliang, born in 1948, also set a record. According to team leader Gu Ming, the 66-year-old Zhu Xianliang is currently the oldest known challenger to swim across the Qiongzhou Strait. He previously accompanied a 65-year-old man on a challenge, but unfortunately, they were not successful. If he successfully completes the swim and lands on shore tomorrow, Zhu Xianliang will become the oldest person to successfully swim across the Qiongzhou Strait.
Preparation: Conditions are good, can score 90 out of 100
“Currently, the whole team is in good condition, and the swim plan is being smoothly prepared,” said Xie Qingyang, 40, a navigator with the Seahorse Club, who will also accompany the team out to sea tomorrow. Since 2000, the Seahorse Club has hosted over 160 swimmers who attempted to cross the Qiongzhou Strait, with 138 succeeding. This team from Nantong is the second group of swimmers to take on the challenge this year.
Xie Qingyang told Modern Express that based on the ocean currents and water temperature, they finally chose May 10 as the swim day. “Usually, challengers here undergo 2 to 3 months of training. This team is almost ready, and I’d give them a 90 out of 100.”
Xie Qingyang said that the Seahorse Club taught them some knowledge about the sea yesterday afternoon and also helped them adjust their condition.
It is reported that these 13 swimmers will enter the water at around 5:30 a.m. on May 10, starting from Haian Town, Xuwen County, Guangdong Province, with the destination being near Baimamen in Haikou, Hainan Province. If everything goes smoothly, more than half of the team members are expected to reach the shore within 8 to 10 hours after entering the water.