Noam Yaron takes on the Calvi-Monaco crossing for a second time starting August 8. After an initial attempt, he is determined to succeed in this challenge in support of marine protection.
This young 28-year-old Swiss is not making his first attempt: in August 2024, his first attempt was interrupted by extreme weather conditions. A year later, he returns more determined than ever, with a clear goal: to use this feat as a lever to raise awareness about the protection of the seas. Because Noam doesn’t just swim to push his physical limits: he uses his body in the service of nature and biodiversity.
In this interview, he discusses his unique path, his childhood marked by doubt, the behind-the-scenes of this extreme crossing, the exceptional marine encounters he’s had, and his fight to preserve maritime spaces.
For those who don’t know you, can you introduce yourself?
My name is Noam Yaron, I’m 28 years old, and I’m a Swiss who uses his body to set records for the sake of nature. I’ve been undertaking extraordinary challenges for 5 years, in swimming or triathlon, to highlight the protection of waters and preservation of biodiversity. I crossed several lakes in Switzerland, including Lake Geneva, the largest alpine lake in Europe, 4 years ago.
Now, I’m tackling the second attempt at the Calvi-Monaco swim, about 180 kilometers, up to 5 days and 5 nights without leaving the water, to break the record for the longest swim in the world and use this crossing to discuss the stakes of the Mediterranean, one of the most polluted seas in the world, and its importance to protect it.
I’d like to know a bit more about what kind of child you were. Were you always attracted to physical and extreme challenges?
I wouldn’t say extreme challenges attracted me, but ever since I was small, I’ve always been a challenger. I was not very comfortable in my body, neither the tallest nor the most muscular, nor the smartest in school. I always wanted to show that I was capable of achieving things.
I studied physics and mathematics. I represented my country in international mathematics and logic competitions. I’ve also competed in Scrabble competitions. I’ve always been where people thought I couldn’t go all the way.
In sports, I fell into swimming at the age of 8, not very comfortable at first, and quite poor. Ten years later, I became the national junior champion at 3000 meters open water in 2015. I ended my elite athlete career on that title.
I devoted myself to extraordinary challenges and records that defy all categories, to talk about the environment, water preservation, and biodiversity protection.
I doubted myself a lot when I was young, and instead of proving them right, I decided to show them they were wrong. I don’t regret it.
Can you go back over your first crossing attempt? What were the main difficulties encountered, and how did you experience them physically and mentally?
I don’t call it abandonment, but an interruption. It’s important: to interrupt means to postpone. It was on August 22, 2024. It wasn’t me who decided to stop, but my team. The weather conditions were much worse than expected. From the start, the wind and currents slowed us down significantly. There wasn’t a true favorable weather window during that period.
There were also waves, contrary currents, a possible approaching storm. We encountered a lot of jellyfish, discovered offshore during the night. The cold was also a factor. Even if the water was warm during the day, it cooled significantly at night. Every pause was very hard because I cooled down quickly and had to “warm up the machine” each time.
Mentally, it wasn’t easy, but I took it well. Before even getting out of the water, I convinced the team that we would come back the following year. We reviewed the team, replaced some positions where we lacked expertise. Today, we are working with Météo France, who support us as they do for events like the Monaco Grand Prix or Roland-Garros.
What did you observe in the Mediterranean during those 48 hours of swimming, both in terms of marine life and pollution?
We were incredibly lucky to witness the presence of many animals. We saw several whales, including fin whales, the second largest whale in the world, which also lives in the Mediterranean, measuring between 25 and 27 meters long. We saw sunfish, quite rare to observe, which can weigh over a ton. We obviously saw tuna, rays of different species, notably mobula rays and stingrays, which are more or less threatened according to the IUCN red list. But also dolphins.
In French waters, it’s prohibited to get too close to wild animals unless they come to see us. So we are very careful about all that, not to promote the tracking of these animals. On the contrary, we try to make them known to the general public, who, even living by the Mediterranean, sometimes ignore that there are whales. In terms of damage, I obviously encounter more plastic than animals. This plastic can be bottles, bags, sachets, which fragment. I have it everywhere on my skin, it touches my hand. I feel the human impact on this sea, known to be one of the most polluted in the world.
What does your physical and mental preparation look like to accomplish such a challenge?
It’s relatively simple but condensed. I never really stopped since the first attempt. I resumed more or less last October, so it’s been about 10 months of targeted preparation.
I do 4 training sessions a week in the water, in a pool, lake, or sea depending on the period, and 2 training sessions in the gym to work on muscular endurance and the small muscles that aren’t necessarily used in swimming but compensate for the fatigue of certain muscles. Swimming is a very complete sport, and with experience, you can learn to rest certain muscles by using others, especially when you have up to 5 days and 5 nights to spend in the water. You need to have backup plans in case of pain or fatigue to continue the movement by using other areas.
Then there’s the mental aspect, which is crucial. I would say 60% of the effort relies on it. I do a lot of breathing exercises, like cardiac coherence, which helps get back into balance in case of stress. I also do hypnosis to put myself in a competent unconscious state. The goal is to have a good time, almost meditative, during the swim, and that every movement recharges me like a dynamo.
We also work on visualization, affirmations: words that I repeat to myself while swimming or training, to help me fall asleep quickly, recover while swimming, awaken, and avoid being scared.
Are there any major dangers or unforeseen events that you dread compared to the previous attempt?
The currents, because the weather can be somewhat anticipated, but the currents are quite difficult to predict in the open sea. Even when we have a weather window, we’ll have to be vigilant about the quality and direction of these currents.
Is there an objective, particularly regarding a world record, for this challenge?
Yes, it’s a world record. It’s the longest swim in calm water, in a neutral current, so without a significant current like a river. It’s the longest swim in a wetsuit.
We could potentially break the record for the longest time spent in the water, currently between 60 and 70 hours. Potentially a second record to pursue, even though I hope not to beat that one, as it’s the most challenging.
We need to go as fast as possible, but also as slowly as necessary to endure all these kilometers and hours in the water.
How do you manage food and sleep during a crossing without ever leaving the water?
For food, it’s simple, I have to stay in the water. A floating supply buoy is placed in the water every hour during my breaks. I take isotonic drinks, solid food, bars, scrambled eggs with banana and cinnamon, many different things. The buoy is then retrieved by the crew.
For sleep, I sleep on my back like a sea otter, taking 7-minute naps, 4 to 6 times a day over a 24 hour period. Last year, I also slept while swimming thanks to a hypnosis method: closing my eyes while a part of my brain remains active.
It sounds crazy, but dolphins do this very well. We also have these capabilities if we manage to activate them when needed.
The crossing hasn’t been achieved yet, but how do you project yourself into the future? Do you have other challenges you’d like to achieve?
I have a superstition not to talk about upcoming challenges before succeeding in the current one. I made that mistake last year, having one in mind. This year, I’m focusing fully on this challenge, achieving this world record, this second attempt, and then we’ll see. What’s certain is that I will continue defending causes that make sense, whether they’re social or environmental. It might not just be the sea and ocean, but perhaps more, using sports or other channels like communication, documentaries, or others.
I think this is just the beginning for me, and I could be involved in other disciplines to make a difference and push this world in the right direction.
