Bucharest, July 10 /Agerpres/ – Swimmer Avram Iancu will set off on July 16 in a 35-day challenge that will see him racing along the entire course of the Rhine River, in support of Romania’s Schengen accession.

The Petrosani-based librarian will swim the 1,032 kilometers of the river without a wetsuit or other supporting elements, just like when he became the first man in the world to cross the Danube using just the strength of his arms.

“The time has come to ask myself, again, what I can do for my country and not what the country can do for me. The time has come for the main swim of the season. I will swim the entire course of the Rhine, from the beginning of the river’s kilometer count – i.e. from the Old Bridge at Konstanz (Germany) to its discharge into the North Sea in the Netherlands. In about 35 days I hope to be able to cover the marked 1,032 kilometers of this river that crosses the heart of Europe,” Avram Iancu said on Monday.

He explained that his entire effort will be dedicated to Romania’s entry to the Schengen Area, because he wants Romanians to be able to move freely through Europe, from the North Sea to the Black Sea.

The start for his Rhine endeavor will be given on July 16, at 10:00, from the Old Bridge at Konstanz, in the presence of everyone who wishes to participate in the event.

Librarian Avram Iancu has several open water swimming performances under his belt, the most recent one in May, when he successfully swam across the Sea of Galilee.