Romanian Cristian Mitrică swam the Sea of Galilee amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war to show his solidarity with the Israeli people. Moreover, he became the fastest Romanian to cross this lake, the World Open Water Swimming Association announced.

Swimming in a water temperature of 29 degrees, Mitrică completed the 20.5-kilometer swim in 8 hours and 9 minutes (pending ratification), which is almost 4 hours faster than the previous record held by another Romanian - Avram Iancu.

“The reason I decided to stay and cross the Galilee Sea was to show my solidarity with the Israeli people, to demonstrate that fear must not dictate our lives, and that terrorism should never be victorious,” Cristian Mitrică said, quoted by Openwaterswimming.com.

According to local Agerpres, he decided to swim across the Sea of Galilee although six days before leaving Romania, two doctors diagnosed him with bursitis, enthesitis and tendinitis in both shoulders and recommended rest and physiotherapy for ten days. He was in Tel Aviv at the time of Hamas’s attack, which also translated into sleepless nights before the swim. 

In late August, Cristian Mitrică and fellow Romanians Florin Tomos and Mihai Holban crossed the Strait of Gibraltar in just 5 hours and one minute, wearing wetsuits.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Cristian Mitrica)