'Pinoy Aquaman' thrills Dubai with month-long, daily 10k swim in open sea

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A Filipino swimming instructor here has been making waves, taking to the open sea on a daily 2.5-hour, non-stop, 10-kilometer swim during Dubai’s just-concluded Dubai Fitness Challenge.

The feat has earned 34-year-old Paolo Mangilinan the tag  “Pinoy Aquaman” and commendations from His Highness, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of Dubai Executive Council.

In his Facebook message, the Crown Prince thanked everyone who took part in DFC, an initiative that, he said, “works to transform Dubai into one of the world's most active and dynamic cities.”

“It motivated us all to set tougher personal goals and actually achieve them. Well done to the two stars of the Challenge,” Sheikh Hamdan said, referring to Mangilinan and Ghani Souleyman, a Togolese national who ran an ultramarathon (45km) per day for 30 days.

Mangilinan was the only Dubai resident who did the remarkable feat.

“It’s tough,” he told GMA News Online. “Every single day takes me almost 2 and half hours.”

“I just want a real challenge. Dapat scary ang challenge,” said Mangilinan, who has been competing in the Philippines since he was eight years old, when asked why he decided to do the daily 30-km swim.

He was the only entry in the DFC event to have done it. Others did a 30-minute swim as the 30X30 Challenge – 30 minutes in 30 days – called for.

A triathlete, Mangilinan said water is his first love, which was why he went for swimming than basketball or other sports. He has also competed in the annual 70.3 Ironman Championship in South Africa.

In his Facebook account, Mangilinan shared how he felt doing the last strokes on Day 30 as he neared the shore: “The crowd was just unbelievably amazing! Incredible feeling. A dream come true proving to myself that I can do it and anything is possible. This would not happen without your help guys.

“The amount of support I was getting every single day was just fantastic! My last few meters swim today was full of emotion. I shed tears... never thought I would be able to finish 30 days but I just kept believing – dream big, keep working hard; you will have lots of failure and downs but never stop believing.”

Mangilinan, who has a Master’s Degree in Sports and been working in Dubai as swimming coach for the past 10 years, swam at Kite Beach, Black Palace Beach, The World Island, during DFC.

The Crown Prince launched the event in 2017. It encourages residents to commit to 30 minutes of sports activity for 30 days.

This year’s DFC featured three dedicated “Fitness Villages,” 10 community-centric Fitness Hubs, more than 200 virtual sessions and over 2,000 classes taking place across 150 locations throughout the month.

The action-packed calendar also featured flagship programs, including the biggest citywide fun run with Dubai Run and a non-competitive, free-to-enter, bike ride community event along two distinct routes - with the longer route including the city’s main artery, passing a number of the city’s iconic buildings. —KBK, GMA News