NICK EICHER, HOST: The so-called “Ice Mermaid” is at it again. Chilean swimmer Barbara Hernandez is one step closer—fact check, Barbara Hernandez is one stroke closer to accomplishing her goal of swimming in each of the world's seven seas.
AUDIO: [SOUND OF SWIMMING]
The 37 year old Hernandez is an accomplished open water swimmer. Last week she put the “chill” in Chilean swimmer. She spent 45 teeth-clattering minutes in the waters of Antarctica.
HERNANDEZ: [IN SPANISH] [TRANSLATION] To swim in these conditions you have to be very prepared in training…
Hernandez saying here that it took a lot of mental and physical training to be ready for water that cold. 36 degrees Fahrenheit, to be exact.
She did develop hypothermia. Her core body temperature fell to just over 80 degrees by the end of the swim.
But she says the sacrifice was worth it if it raises awareness to better protect the world’s oceans.
HERNANDEZ: [TRANSLATION] Swimming in Antarctica was my dream for more than 10 years…
What she’s saying is it’s been a decade-long dream to swim in the Antarctic Ocean.
BROWN: A nightmare, more like …
EICHER: Seems like awareness is possible by swimming in the Caribbean or Mediterranean, just saying.
It’s The World and Everything in It.
WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.
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