A well-known endurance athlete took to social media in search of his next great, and perhaps dangerous, mission.
Russ Cook, who is known as "The Hardest Geezer," is a 27-year-old man, who specializes in going unimaginable distances. Just earlier this year, Cook became the first person to successfully run the length of Africa. His journey set off from Cape Agulhas in South Africa and ended when he crossed the finish line in Cape Angela, Tunisia. In total, Cook traveled over 16,000 km, all by foot.
According to LADBIBLE, Cook completed the aforementioned "Project Africa" on April 7th. While most would assume he would have taken a well-deserved break, Cook did just the opposite. The Hardest Geezer made his way to Germany, and ran to each game of the UEFA Euro 2024, before a back flare-up stopped him just short of the championship game.
Nevertheless, 2024 has been quite the year for Cook. And according to his X account, he still has plenty more to accomplish in the days ahead.
Star Endurance Athlete Sets Sights on Earth's "Most Dangerous Water"
Cook took to X to ask his nearly 350,000 followers what should be next on his to-do list. While many replied, Cook tossed out his own idea to gauge their interest. "Pole to pole gotta be up there," was Cook's exact wording.
Pole-to-pole references traveling to length of the Earth, from the South Pole, all the way up to the North Pole. Cook quickly laid out the blueprint on X. Apparently, he would start in the South Pole, before crossing Antarctica by foot. Then, Cook would plan to swim across Drakes Passage, then run the Americas on foot, through even the Darien Gap. Finally, Cook would hope to cross over to the North Pole during winter. All in all, he would plan for a little over two years, running a marathon a day.
Apparently, Cook believes the journey is possible. Notably, nobody has ever swam across Drakes Passage. One woman, named Barbara Hernandez swam 1852 meters in the dangerous waters. Moreover, 6 men rowed across the entire stretch of waters, which is roughly 1000 km wide. Their journey required 12 days.
Drakes Passage is dangerous because of the strong currents caused by the lack of a nearby land. Likewise, the strength and structure of waves that can occur in the stretch of ocean make it widely known as one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world.
Regardless, it seems Cook has his sights set on a "Pole to Pole" journey, and Drakes Passage will certainly be a part of such an endeavor.
