Nejib Belhedi tows 70 tonne ship in memory of Tunisia massacre victims
Tunisian swimmer Nejib Belhedi closed out 2015 by towing a 70 tonne ship (plus passengers) a distance of 350m. The swim (which Nejib calls Iron swimming) took place at El Kantaoui Marina, Sousse, Tunisia. Nejib has now completed several swims of various distances while towing a boat, but this was the largest yet.
Nejib dedicated the swim to the tourists who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks at the nearby Imperial Marhaba Hotel on 26 June 2015 and threw flowers into the sea in their memory.
Speaking about the swim, Nejib says: “My biggest concern was the wind. Although it wasn’t too strong at around force 2 to 3, it could easily have pushed the boat off course. Luckily, shortly before I entered the water, the wind changed direction. I therefore decided to change tactics and tried to complete the swim as quickly as possible before the wind changed again! I sincerely hope that my initiative for peace here today in Sousse will be felt around the world. I, as a proud Tunisian, rigorously condemn, with rage and firmness, all atrocities of wars and violence.”
Nejib added he wanted to thank the following for their support:
-Mr Fathi Bdira, Governor of Sousse
-Mrs Monia Jouni, Delegate of Hammam Sousse
-Mr Habib Ammar, President General Director of La Société d’Etude et de Developpement de Sousse Nord
-Mr Fouad El Oued, Commissary of Tourism of Sousse
-The Coast Guard, the Civil Protection Unit and the security forces
– All personnel, staff and assistants of the event organization and the owner of ship Mohamed Ali.
Simon Griffiths
I created Outdoor Swimmer in 2011 (initially as H2Open Magazine) as an outlet for my passion for swimming outdoors. I've been a swimmer and outdoor swimmer for as long as I remember. Swimming has made a huge difference to my life and I want to share its joys and benefits with as many people as possible. I am also the author of Swim Wild & Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 a Year and I provide one-to-one support to swimmers through Swim Mentoring.
