Eric Demchuk: How the German marathoner swam the length of the Volga River

A few years ago, Eric Demchuk was an ordinary man who was busy working from morning to night. However, at some point he realized that such a life was not to his liking. Eric was able to do what everyone dreams of, but does not dare to do – he began to travel and study new countries, their culture and customs. “Championship” interviewed athlete and traveler Eric Demchuk and found out when he started traveling, how he swam the entire Volga and what he thinks about Russian people.

Where it all started

– Eric, tell us when and why you decided to start traveling?
– 10 years ago I started to realize that material values are not so important. My professional career at that time was very boring, although I had a nice car and a house. However, I wanted to learn something new, to find something interesting. I wanted to see the world, different countries, their culture and customs. Only after a couple of years I finally decided to start traveling. Of course, I thought and worried for a long time, but I wanted to enjoy life and see what there is in the world besides the daily routine.

I started traveling while still in high school. When I was 14 years old, I hitchhiked from Poland to the GDR during a vacation.

– Why do you like traveling?
– For a certain period of time it helps to escape from everyday life. Now I feel free and happy while traveling.

– You spent three months in the jungle. What did you eat there?
– I was actually in the El Yunque rainforest in Puerto Rico. However, I wasn’t separated from civilization, so there was no problem with that.

– What was the most challenging thing for you in the jungle?
– I think coping with the daily routine without fresh water was the most challenging. It’s hard when you’re showering in the rain or bathing in a mountain river.

– Tell us about the funniest or most exciting moment while traveling.
– It was in Puerto Rico. I woke up in the night and discovered a snake in my room. I had to do something immediately to avoid getting into an even worse situation. That’s when I called my friend and explained everything. He simply told me that it would crawl away soon and I had nothing to worry about and sent me to bed. Then I found a bag nearby and wanted to catch the snake in it, but it quickly crawled away. It was also from there that I brought my three dogs. It was very difficult because you needed the proper paperwork. It took me many days to get all the necessary documents. However, then another problem arose – two of the dogs were allowed on board the airplane, but the third one was not. For her sake I had to make several transfers to get her home. Now all three dogs live at home.

– When was the first time you went traveling?
– I remember I was still in middle school at the time. When I was 14, I hitchhiked from Poland to the GDR during a vacation.

– Three things you can’t travel without?
– It really depends on where I’m traveling to. For example, there are several kinds of tents, and depending on the destination I can already choose the appropriate one. I also take with me a sleeping pad, gas.

– Do you prefer traveling alone or with someone?
– It rather depends on the specific project.

– Tell us about the most unpleasant place you’ve been?
– I feel the worst in big cities. Everything there is defined by advertising and consumer behavior.

– What is your least favorite thing about traveling?
– It’s the end of the journey.

– Tell us about a place that turned out to be completely different from what you imagined?
– Yes, it was my first Volga trip to Russia in 2016. I imagined Russia to be like in Tolstoy and Dostoevsky’s books, but Russia turned out to be modern and hospitable.

From the source to the mouth of the Volga River

– Why did you decide to sail across the Volga River? Did someone tell you about it or did you find the information yourself?
– The Volga is the longest river in Europe, which is why this trip was a challenge for me. Basically, I looked for all the information on the Internet.

There was a lot of fun, funny moments and wonderful encounters while traveling on the Volga.

– You sailed from the very source to the mouth of the river. Were there any funny stories while traveling on the Volga?
– I can’t define this trip as one particular moment. There were a lot of fun, funny moments and wonderful encounters while traveling along the Volga. But if you have to single out something, it was in Nizhny Novgorod. At the time, there was a swimming event organized by X-Waters in that city. It was there that I met Alexander Bazanov, the organizer of the event. I also participated in the competition, and the time I spent with him and his friends was interesting and fun.

– What was the most unexpected thing that happened while traveling along the Volga?
– I totally underestimated the size and power of the river. The first time I came to the Volga was in 2016, but I was ill-prepared, so I came back in 2017. However, there was a lot of rain then, which hindered during the swim, there were also strong waves. It was cold then, the water was cold, so it was hard. At some point I even started to think about finishing the swim. The first 10 kilometers in Nizhny Novgorod were very difficult. Also in Cheboksary there were strong waves and wind, our boat went underwater several times.

“Russians are wonderful, hospitable and sincere people!”

– How many Russian words did you learn while traveling?
–(Laughs.) It’s not written anywhere, but I managed to learn Russian while traveling on the Volga!

– What surprised you during the trip?
– I was very surprised, but there are really no significant differences between the cultures.

– What do you think about Russia and Russian people after traveling?
– Russians are wonderful, hospitable and sincere people!

– Have you thought about traveling on the Volga again?
– Yes, I am going to travel to the Volga again. But I can already say that it will be hard to cross the Volga for the second time.

– It takes a lot of energy to travel into the wilderness. Do you train?
– I prepare for every trip. For example, to swim across the Volga, I prepared for eight months. Mostly, of course, it was physical training. At first I swam three or four hours every day, then five or six hours. I also rode a bicycle for 27 kilometers.

While traveling, I was amazed by nature and wanted to share that with people, so I started writing about my trips on my blog.

– You have a personal blog (https://volga2017swimming.wordpress.com/ ) where you talk about your travels. How many years have you been running it?
– It’s been seven years since I started writing my blog.

– How did you decide to start writing?
– While traveling, I was amazed by the nature around me. I wanted to share my impressions with everyone! That’s how I started writing about traveling on my own blog.

– Have you thought of writing a book about traveling?
– No, I haven’t thought about it yet.

– You’ve said you’re a vegetarian. When and why did you decide to give up animal food?
– It was 20 years ago! I decided to become a vegetarian because I felt sorry for animals. I didn’t want to have anything to do with the inhumane conditions that meat consumption is associated with.

– To date, can you imagine life without traveling?
– No, I can’t imagine my life without traveling!

– Most beautiful place you’ve been?
– Home is the most beautiful place on earth!

– What is the most important thing for you when traveling?
– I love traveling, while traveling I feel free and happy person.

– Why do you think people should travel?
– I think it is very important to get to know different cultures. After all, only by learning the culture of another country can you understand them. In addition, it is important to make people aware of the beauty of our nature. This will allow us to raise the importance of the concept of environmental protection.

– What are your further plans for the future?
– In 2018, small swimming trips to wonderful places are planned. Also one big project is planned for 2019: the big Lake Baikal, the Loire, winter travels on the Volga. Accompanying me will be my friend Sergey Rybkin from X-Waters. I would also like to visit Armenia, Lake Sevan.

– Can you give any advice to beginners?
– Go where your heart leads you and live your dream!