Olympic swimmer and cancer survivor Maarten van der Weijden has reached €5 million in donations after swimming 163 kilometres and 55 hours. On the day of the swim, the target figure stood at €4.5 million, but the donations kept rolling in.
Using pr.co’s newsroom the PR team behind the Maarten van der Weijden foundation were able to report on an extraordinary event. Highlights included finding E.coli in the water, his feet, the nap that kept him going, and being pronounced too ill to continue by doctors.
The Prime Minister has awarded Maarten with a special version of the Elfstedentocht, the medal normally awarded to those who traditionally complete the race on ice.
Early next year, Maarten will be embarking on a theatre tour, to give a first hand account of the swim. For every ticket bought he will donate €11 to cancer research.