At the end of 2002, a record was added to the “limit record” of human beings-American sea swimmer Lin Cox became the first person to “go to Antarctica”.
Most people in the world have never been to Antarctica. The few passengers or researchers who are lucky enough to arrive in Antarctica can only do this in two ways-on special vessels with ice-breaking capabilities, or by landing on a small plane at the airport. Lyn Cox and a group of tourists took an icebreaker and approached the Antarctic continent via the Beagle Channel. It was the hottest season in the southern hemisphere, and after melting the ice, it exposed the edge of the Antarctica continent. The ship sailed along the edge of the Antarctica continent. After passing through the port of Nico, Cox walked down the stairs from the ship’s side, took a deep breath, and jumped into the water. It took 25 minutes to swim for a total of 1.22 nautical miles (about 2.26 km) and arrived Antarctica continent.
On the surface, this record doesn’t seem to be very powerful! Less than half an hour before and after, the total distance traveled is less than 3 kilometers. Don’t be fooled by such superficial numbers. The number that really matters is that when Cox came into the water, the temperature of the sea was close to the freezing point. And there were ice floes everywhere she swam. A small piece of ice floe may cut her skin at any time; a large piece of ice floe may knock her out at any time.
Swimming’s biggest challenge to humans is how to maintain body temperature. If the rate of loss of heat on the body surface continues to exceed the rate of warming of the internal circulation, then at one point, the temperature of the blood returned will be too low, which will cause the heart to fail to function properly, and the person will be instantly comatose and never wake up again. .
This is certainly not a joke. This also shows that traveling to the Antarctic continent is easy for penguins, but for humans, um, no one dares to try it.
Lynn Cox is not a casual person. She started to focus on sea swimming when she was 12 years old. At the age of 15, she challenged the swimmer’s mecca, the English Channel. Although much better than others in the sea, Cox continues to explore his limits. That’s why she decided to challenge Antarctica waters after she was over 40 years old.
However, in order to swim for just over 20 minutes, Lynn Cox spent two full years preparing. She asked a lot of experts to help her. Weight training experts help her build strength so she can swim faster and create more body heat. A medical expert tests her condition at any time. She also consulted animal experts to learn the secrets of penguins to keep warm and move fast in the water. Cox deliberately left a long hair in a swimming cap to keep the air warm; she also allowed herself to gain nearly 10 kilograms and store enough fat.
What is the reason for such a big deal? Is it easy for humans to do what Antarctic penguins can do? No, it is to satisfy Lynn Cox’s adventurous spirit, which is the biggest purpose. Modern society stands ready to support and assist adventurous people like Lynn Cox. They don’t ask scornfully: “Why do you swim to Antarctica?” They only ask: “How can we break through the difficulties and swim to the Antarctic continent?” Overcoming difficulties and doing things that others cannot do, this process is value in itself It’s meaning and purpose.
Adventure is not the violent tiger Feng He, you dare to do what others dare not do. The true meaning of adventure is to successfully overcome difficulties that others cannot overcome. In order to pursue success, we must carefully design and plan. Make no mistake, true adventurers don’t go where impulsive. Looking at this standard, we might as well do some thinking exercises: How much difference will there be between a society with adventurous spirit and those without adventurous spirit?