“When the world hit Covid-19 nearly a year ago, I was looking for a way to show that the pandemic was not an excuse to forget our priorities of nature, or put our aspirations into gear. On the contrary. This is why I spent the time training and developing myself and my mission.

Severinsen described the 202-meter distance as „symbolic“.

Severinsen also holds the record for the longest swimming distance under the ice with fins, a diving jacket, and without a diving jacket, at 152.4 meters and 76.2 meters, respectively.

He also set a record in 2012 for the longest breaths taken voluntarily, holding his breath for 22 minutes. The record has since been broken at 24 minutes 3.45 seconds.