President of the Novosibirsk Cold Water Swimming Federation Nikolai Glushkov plans to swim in the waters of the Arctic Ocean in the summer of 2018, TASS reports. By that time he will be 64 years old, but he is confident in his physical fitness.

"I'll just agree in advance with the captain of an icebreaker in order not to shock him, and then I'll be able to swim. Russian prowess should be demonstrated both in the Ob River and the North pole," Glushkov said to TASS. He said that pleasure icebreakers regularly sail from Murmansk and make stops at ice-holes so that people can get out on an ice floe and admire the views. He is going to swim during one of these stops. 

According to TASS, Glushkova is a two-time Russian champion and multiple world champion in cold water swimming. He has already had experience in swimming in the northern waters: in 2008, he crossed several rivers near Norilsk, and in 2013, he became the first person in Russia to cross the Kola Bay in the Barents Sea five times.

This year, the athlete took a break, but in January 2018, he is going to take part in the Russian Cold Water Swimming Championships to be held in Anapa, then in the world championships in Tallinn and the Murmansk Mile on the Barents Sea coast. To participate in championships, Glushkov uses to undergo a complete medical examination twice a year to get permission from doctors.