20 bridges, 3 rivers, 47 km - a Bulgarian swims around New York's Manhattan Island

published on 11/9/23 6:05 AM

Marin Grigorov

Photo: Private archive

In the first days of October, the Bulgarian Marin Grigorov swam around the New York island of Manhattan. The water route is 47 km long and is known as the "20 bridges". It is the world's longest regulated one-day open water swim. Similar swimming tours of Manhattan have been done since 2016.

This year, a total of 104 swimmers from different countries were competing in it. Every weekend, 4 participants are given the opportunity to try to circumnavigate the island. Among them was Bulgaria's Marin Grigorov born in the town of Petrich, Southwestern Bulgaria.

Marin Grigorov has been living in the USA for 17 years. He claims that he has been swimming for a long time, but he has never been involved in this sport professionally. Some time ago, however, he joined The Sandy Hook Sunrise Swimmers, a local amateur club of enthusiasts who swim in the cold waters of the ocean every morning, including during the winter.

"First I swam 3, 5, 7 km and I saw that when I got out of the water, I wasn't short of breath at all and I even still had a lot of strength. And they told me: "You are perfect for marathon swimming, why don't you try it?".

So Marin decided to put himself to the test by signing up to participate in "20 Bridges".

"Last year I trained 6 days a week - 5 times in a pool, once in open water. I trained every morning before going to work. And a month before the start, I swam 10-12 km a day. Because this is a competition that happens once in a lifetime. Maybe I was also triggered by the fact that no Bulgarian had done it so far, and that we, Bulgarians, have very good swimmers. However, I am not a professional swimmer myself, I finance myself and do it for pleasure," says Marin for Radio Bulgaria.

But luck was not on his side. Shortly before the race, torrential rains poured over New York. The city was flooded, the river waters overflew and became even more polluted. But Marin didn't give up. He swam continuously for 8 hours and 20 minutes, crossing the murky waters of three rivers. At their mouths, they are tidal streams from the Atlantic Ocean, and in this part they are salty. These are the East River, Harlem, and the Hudson River - one of the largest in the USA.

"Exactly this tour of Manhattan and these 20 bridges is not just a race, but an incredible experience", says Marin Grigorov. "You can imagine Manhattan, which is, I would say, the most interesting city in the world, and at one point you have the opportunity to swim around it. And as you swim, pass under 20 bridges and look at all these beautiful tall buildings on the water side."

But the water is cold, in one of the rivers Marin has to swim against the current, the fatigue was enormous. "This is not only a physical test, it also has a psychological dimension," says our compatriot. He came out of the water freezing cold and ...5 kilograms lighter.

The first thing he did was to embrace the team of helpers who had been following him all along from a distance by boat, according to the rules of the race. And the next one? To wave, in the middle of the waters of Manhattan, the Bulgarian flag, to which he also attached the coat of arms of his native Petrich.

"Only then did I feel how cold I was and how much I had lost weight. But at that moment it didn't matter at all to me," recalls Marin Grigorov. Now he has a new dream:

"I dream to swim the English Channel from England to France, as well as the Strait of Gibraltar - from Spain to Morocco. I have put in an application for participation and I expect to be approved. It turns out that it is not easy, because for most such places there is a waiting period of more than a year. The places are filled already but I am patient," says Marin Grigorov and adds that he would not hesitate to wave the Bulgarian flag again when he sets his next record.