Update on Serge Roetheli – always seeking a new endurance challenge!

I spoke with my distant Swiss relative, Serge Roetheli, by phone today.  As some of you know but the vast majority have no clue, Serge (already sometimes referred to as the greatest endurance athlete in the history of mankind) is about to embark on another of his “crazy” endurance adventures.

Late this past spring, Serge received an e-mail from Ole Elmer  who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Mr. Elmer, a successful entrepreneur who sold his business, asked Serge if he would consider teaming with him on an extra-ordinary endurance adventure.  Mr. Elmer indicated that Serge was his #1 candidate to do this event based upon Serge’s past endurance feats and his knowledge and ability to survive, his food planning and logistics skills, etc.  Almost immediately upon receiving the inquiry, Serge agreed to undertake this monumental, challenging and dangerous endurance feat!  Mr. Elmer and Serge apparently met somehow when Serge was running what he called “The American Challenge”–running 15,000 miles from the southern tip of Argentina to Fairbanks, Alaska–the Pan American Highway, the longest road in the world–just one of many extra-ordinary endurance feats that Serge has achieved!

So on January 12, 2010, Mr. Elmer (age 63 and a cancer survivor) and Serge (age 55) plan to launch their oversized canoe from the Canary Islands in an attempt to row the Atlantic Ocean with their target destination being The Caribbean Islands, preferably Antigua.  This is estimated to be a 5,500 kilometer or 3,437 mile rowing trip!  This route has been rowed successfully in the recent past including by Mr. Elmer and a few others–however, it is still an amazing, challenging, and dangerous endurance feat to contemplate much less complete! 

Woodvale, a boat manufacturer in England that has crafted the canoe for Mr. Elmer and Serge, indicates that rowing the Atlantic was voted the most difficult endurance event in the world.  Serge may question that as he has run the distance of the circumference of the world.  Serge ran 25,365 miles in 1,910 days, or an average of a marathon every other day for 63 months!  Serge is the only human we can identify who has run the distance of the circumference of the world.  Rowing the Atlantic will be another great challenge for Serge!

The canoe for this trip across the Atlantic is roughly 22 feet long and 5 feet wide.  It will carry all their food and supplies for the entire trip which they estimate will take them roughly 90 days.

They have no side ship, security boat, or safety net.  They will be alone on the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean for roughly 3 months!  Their sole connection to the rest of the world will be a solar powered satellite radio! 

The gameplan is for the two men to take turns rowing the oversize canoe.  Each man will row 2 hours and then be off for 2 hours–24 hours a day for 90 or so days.  They will eat and sleep etc in their 2 hour off slot!

It appears that Serge has found someone that is almost as persistent in the endurance arena as he is himself.  And it appears to run somewhat in the Roetheli blood line.

Compiled by Joseph Roetheli

For more information, go the website of the manufacturer of their canoe: 

www.woodvale-challenge.com or www.Roetheli.net

                                                                                                                                   Joe ROETHELI  

                                                                                                                                   Kansas City  USA

                                     TRAILER     "BEOND THE EPIC RUN"

                                                   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1C0a0jYTYQ