MANILA, Philippines — Renowned endurance swimmer Ingemar “Pinoy Aquaman” Macarine added a feather in his cap after completing a grueling five-kilometer open water swim for a cause in Lake Michigan in the United States last Monday.
The 46-year-old Macarine, an environmental lawyer who currently works as a Department of Justice prosecutor, originally planned to swim 10km together with Filipino-Americans Rey Letada and Nick Regorgo but along the way decided to shorten his bold attempt because of bad weather conditions.
He finished the 5km distance in two hours and 57 minutes.
“The swim took time because we only had one escort boat. We had to wait for the other swimmers and finish the swim together,” Macarine wrote on his Facebook page.
Macarine and Letada, a retired US Navy officer, braved the rigorous swim under freezing cold waters and strong currents in one of the five Great Lakes of North America.
Macarine said that neophyte open water swimmers Regorgo, Cynthia Garcia, and Kylee Marie Guiriba had to get out of the water during the early part of the swim for safety reasons. They resumed swimming when the waves slowed down a little.
“The water temperature during the swim was 62F. I did not have enough cold acclimatization training so the water felt so cold. The wet suit helped but it could only protect the covered part of my body,” said Macarine. “The purpose of the swim is to promote marine conservation in the Philippines and a healthy lifestyle.”
This swim is also in memory of a good friend and fellow open water swimmer, Lisa Amorao. She passed away in May 2022, during an open water swim in California.”
“Thank you, Lord, for a successful swim. Though the weather did not cooperate, we really enjoyed the swim,” added the Surigao-born multi-sport enthusiast.
It was Macarine’s fifth successful marathon swim in the US after Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California; Hudson River in New York, and Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.
Macarine launched his illustrious open water swimming career in 2013 anchored on his lifetime advocacy for clean water, pollution-free marine environment and healthy lifestyle.