- Who
- Dolphin Ratheesh
- What
- 10 kilometre(s)
- Where
- India (Karunagappally)
- When
The farthest swim wearing handcuffs and leg irons is 10 km (6.21 miles) and was achieved by Dolphin Ratheesh (India) in Karunagappally, Kerala, India, on 18 November 2020.
Dolphin belongs to the traditional fishermen community in Kerala. "My native village, Alappadu, is a strip of land between the Arabian sea and the T.S.canal. Being the son of a traditional fisherman I have a special affinity for swimming right from my childhood. The sea has been a source of inspiration and it has instilled confidence, courage and a spirit of adventure in me. As a child I used to dream about seafaring and even dreamt of crossing the sea. My parents stood with me despite their fragile financial background. My journey as an adventure swimmer started from my dreams. My style of swimming (wearing handcuffs and leg irons) is the result of regular, rigorous practice.
Dolphin is a big believer in swimming safety and has become a swimming instructor and lifeguard to share his passion and his message of "learn to swim, save your life".
"Drowning is a leading cause of death and formal learning lessons can reduce the risk of drowning. My efforts to give formal swimming lessons to school children, women and enthusiasts have been greatly appreciated. Now I am working as a life guard with the Tourism department, Kerala. Though I had opportunities for placement in other fields I preferred this field as it gives me satisfaction. I have been organising awareness programmes for school children and others in the society to disseminate the message "learn to swim, save your life". I think the tittle "Guinness World Records title holder" will be a morale booster for me."
It took Dolphin several weeks to recover from both the physical and mental exhaustion of the attempt but that hasn't put him off planning future attempts.
"I would like to swim across the English Channel wearing handcuffs and leg irons to raise an awareness against ocean plastic pollution."
"I value the Guinness World Records and I feel I am greatly honoured if I get the title for my achievement. The title will be an inspiration for me in my future endeavours."