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Outdoor Adventure
What You Missed: “German Forrest Gump” Completes Round-the-World Triathlon
03
Dec
Dec
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German adventurer Jonas Deichmann deserves a post-race beer. Or 50.
On Monday Deichmann rode his bicycle into downtown Munich to complete his round-the-world triathlon, a personal challenge in which he circumnavigated the globe by swimming, biking, and running.
The statistics for Deichmann’s journey boggle the mind: he swam 284 miles, biked 13,000, and ran 3,100. The challenge took him 429 days to complete, and the total distance is equivalent to approximately 120 Ironman-length triathlons.
“The most important thing: You have to do something that you are passionate about,” Deichmann said in October. “You have to do it with the right motives. And if you have the passion for it and firmly believe that you can, then so much more is possible than you think.”
Deichmann’s odyssey included a few deviations due to the pandemic. He began by biking from Germany to Croatia, where he then swam for 54 days along the country’s coastline, towing his belongings in a small raft. After biking to Russia, COVID-19 travel restrictions forced Deichmann to wait near the border for 13 weeks. Russian authorities eventually allowed him into the country, but by then it was winter, and he endured freezing temperatures while biking across Siberia.
After arriving in Vladivostok, more travel restrictions upended Deichmann’s plan to take a boat to the United States. Instead, he flew to Mexico and spent a month running the length of the country. Locals dubbed him “the German Forrest Gump,” and video clips showed him accompanied by local runners, armed police officers, and even mariachi band members.
When Deichman reached Cancun, he was greeted by fans dressed as Forrest Gump.
In October he flew from Cancun to Portugal where he started the journey’s final leg, a bike ride back to Munich. He battled snow and sickness and covered 100 miles a day to reach his destination on November 29.
Deichmann has hinted at plans for a future big challenge in 2023. For now, he intends to rest.
“I will also give my body 14 months of recovery,” Deichmann told German media.
Aspen Delays Pro Ski Tour Races Due to Meager Snowpack
Colorado’s dismal snowpack has created another hiccup in the ski season.
On Wednesday officials with the World Pro Ski Tour postponed an upcoming race in Aspen due to poor snow conditions. The races were slated to be held December 10 to 12 and have been pushed back to January 8 to 9.
“Sadly, this is the type of thing we’re seeing more and more these days with events early or late in the ski season,” said Jeff Hanle, Aspen Ski Company’s vice president of communications, in a press release. “Climate change is happening, and it will cut into the industry’s ability to host these types of events unless we take drastic actions.”
The cancellation is the latest setback what has already been a concerning fall for ski resorts due to unseasonably warm temperatures and bone-dry conditions.
Aspen Mountain recently opened its first top-to-bottom run. However, the warm and dry weather has hampered snowmaking at lower elevations. The races were supposed to take place on the bottom half of the mountain where coverage is still thin.
The World Pro Ski Tour, which sees skiers compete in head-to-head races, still expects to hold an event a Colorado’s Granby Ranch resort December 17 to 19.
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