A Big Week of Publicity

BBC Breakfast Interview Dan Martin from Daniel Martin on Vimeo.

This week has been crazy for publicity. The story started on Monday with a front page article in my local paper, the Evening Telegraph. The big news from this seemed not to be that I’m swimming across the Atlantic or the cycling or running legs but the fact that I’m having to gain so much weight to combat the cold early on in the swim. This was then covered in the Metro and the Daily Express on Tuesday accompanied by a picture of me surrounded by food which sparked a short debate on nutrition on the Metro comments page! From these two stories I got a deluge of requests to go on everything from TV (BBC Breakfast, BBC News 24, Look East and Anglia News) to Radio (BBC World Service, Radio 4, BBC Cambridgeshire, TalkSport, BBC Northamptonshire and BBC Three Counties) to magazines and websites (BBC, IntoSport and Travelling Two).

It’s been great but I’m looking forward to getting back into some hard training this week. I hope that this extra publicity helps get in the last bits of sponsorship we need to make this happen.

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Teachers Wanted!

At the heart of this journey are the core values of Education, Environment and Expedition. The most important of these is Education.

I need teachers, I need schools!

I’m looking to find 100 schools in the UK, 100 schools from on my route and 100 schools from round the world. The plan is to broadcast live (or nearly live!) into assemblies from various points on my trip ranging from the Atlantic to Alaska and from Siberia to New York.

I think kids seeing this kind of trip first hand will be a great inspiration for them and also an excellent vehicle for highlighting first hand some of the most pressing environmental issues in the world today including climate change, ocean pollution, over fishing and urban over population.

If you think you could help please get in touch at: dan@danmartinextreme.com

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ADVENTURERS WANTED FOR HAZARDOUS GLOBAL TRIATHLON

WILL INVOLVE SHARKS, ICEBERGS, POISONOUS JELLYFISH, HURRICANES, HUGE WAVES, STORMS, DAYS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS AND POTENTIAL BANDIT/HOSTAGE SITUATIONS. FOOD AND WATER LIMITED. NO WAGES. WORKING ENVIRONMENT TERRIBLE: EXPECT BLISTERS, CHAFING, FROSTBITE, SUNSTROKE, EXHAUSTION AND MALNUTRITION.

Survival not guaranteed but upon completion of job small levels of fame could be achieved.

Looking for:
Medic/Physio and IT/Comms for the swim leg.
Road manager for the European part of the bike and all of the run.

Send CV’s to Dan Martin at dan@danmartinextreme.com

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Interview with Sarah Outen-Ocean Rower

This is an interview I did with Sarah Outen last December just after she got back from rowing across the Indian Ocean solo:

Interview with Sarah Outen-Ocean Rower from Daniel Martin on Vimeo.

Sarah went to the same school as I did-there must be something in the water!

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Introducing A New Team Member: Sylvain Estadieu

I’m very happy to announce that Sylvain Estadieu will be joining me on the boat for the swim leg. I met Sylvain at a long distance swimming camp in Cork last year and I helped on his support boat when he swam the English Channel in the summer. Sylvain will be my support swimmer-he’s smaller than me so fingers crossed the sharks will go for him first!

Who are you?

Sylvain, 24, originally from Strasbourg in Alsace, France and living in Cork, Ireland since 2006. I work there as a software engineer and spend most of my free time either in a swimming pool or in the sea.

What are you doing on the trip?

I will be serving as a support swimmer (read “bait for big fish”) as well as a translator / janitor / anything really.

How did you get involved?

I met Dan when we both took part in the 2-week Cork swim camp in June 2009. Dan was the only guy of the group who wasn’t training for a Channel attempt. I remember him telling me about his goal of swimming between America and Europe with a straight face and my saying “Yeah, riiiiight …”.

My Channel swim was scheduled for mid-September, Dan offered to crew for me and did an amazing job filming, giving me updates, keeping the rest of the crew happy, etc. This is when he threw me the idea of spending summer 2010 on his boat. A few weeks later, I was in.

What do you do normally?

I graduated from university two years ago and found a job as a software developper right after that. For the past 18 months my typical week consisted of 40 hours in front of a computer screen and 15 hours swimming in all kinds of water from pools to lakes to rivers to the sea!

Relevant skills and experience?

I started swimming when I was 3. For the past 3 years I have been taking on longer and longer open water challenges, from 2km in the River Lee to 21 miles in the English Channel. I guess that is going to be my most relevant skill during the Atlantic trip. I’m also not too afraid of jellyfish and sharks so I can always swim my way between Dan and and any hostile creature if need be. I’m also a qualified first aider.

Favorite wake up song?

“Bohemian like you” by the Dandy Warhols

Favorite movie for when we’re lost in the middle of nowhere?

Love actually … because love is actually all around, ya know.

Worst moment travelling?

I’m not an experienced traveller/adventurer, I have never put myself in a really uncomfortable situation while travelling … yet. I suppose that sleeping in Dublin airport every year just before Christmas as part as my trip back home to France is not something worth mentionning on an adventurer’s resume …

What will you miss most whilst on the trip?

I will most likely miss having croissants for breakfast … not sure yet what the plan is regarding coffee onboard! And of course family, friends and my little viking princess, Jag kommer att sakna er.

Why are you doing this?

I see this trip as an internship for part of my Master’s degree in adventure and impossible stuff.

Seriously it’s difficult to say no to something that is going to be so boring and exciting, so pointless and yet so important. This trip is a life-changer, not only for Dan and the crew but also for those who’ll benefit from the money raised for Dans foundation and all of those who’ll get inspired by this insane Brit! I for one am inspired by Dan’s previous accomplishments and dedication and am looking forward to learning and elevating my charitable and adventurous spirits.

Why am I doing this?

Dan pulled the short straw during the latest adventurers meeting maybe?

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