Kayaker is crossing 12 countries alone to break world record - but must face seven deadliest routes
A British adventurer is attempting to break a Guinness World Record as he attempts to traverse the seven deadliest ocean crossings on the planet in just a kayak.
Having already ran marathons through all sorts of terrain, and swam remarkable lengths across all seven seas, Louis Alexander, 26, is looking for his next big challenge in his bid to raise awareness for dementia having lost his grandad, Captain Rick Taylor, to the disease.
As part of his next wild mission, Louis will navigate a total of 12 countries, spanning 300 miles of exposed water, and there will certainly be no room for error.
Because of this, the Brit is currently embroiled in a deep training programme to ensure he's the most prepared he can be - but there are some things that are simply out of his control.
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Louis' next adventure will commence by crossing the English Channel, followed by the North Channel linking Ireland and Scotland, the Strait of Gibraltar, then Cook Strait in New Zealand.
From there, he'll take on the Singapore Strait, which sees Louis head from Singapore to Indonesia, and the Molokai Channel in Hawaii, before wrapping up with the Beagle Channel, water stretching between Chile and Argentina.
The daredevil Brit is completing all of his training in the UK, admitting the one thing he can't prepare for is the conditions on the other side of the globe.
He told UNILAD: "You can't prepare for certain conditions in the UK. So it's basically a case of doing the best I can with what I have available. So I'm in the gym a few times a week doing some strength conditioning work, very important for shoulder mobility, for core. I'm in the kayak, whether it's on the Thames, or I'm doing lots of training in the pool as well."
Louis went on to say he'll be doing more training on the British coast ahead of embarking on the challenge this July, though that does have its limitations, the explorer has admitted.
"You can't mimic these exact conditions and it goes back to the runs and the swims I've done previously," Louis added to UNILAD.
"When I first ran in Antarctica you couldn't prepare for that so it's part of these projects, part of the adventure is stepping into the unknown.
"You just have to control everything you can in the build-up and do as much as you can, but at some point you're going to find out the hard way."
What are the seven deadliest crossings and why are they deadly?
- English Channel (UK to France)
- North Channel (Ireland to Scotland)
- Strait of Gibraltar (Spain to Morocco)
- Cook Strait (New Zealand)
- Singapore Strait (Singapore to Indonesia)
- Molokai Channel (Hawaii)
- Beagle Channel (Chile to Argentina)
While the English Channel may have calmer waters in the summer, it's still extremely dangerous given it's one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, which has rapid tide changes.
Similar can be said for the North Channel given Ireland and Scotland are both notorious for sudden weather changes. Even during the summer months, which is when Louis is completing the challenge.
For someone in a kayak, the Strait of Gibraltar can provide huge issues due to heavy maritime traffic and gale-force winds, while the Cook Strait is largely considered one of the most unpredictable stretches of ocean for a variety of reasons, including violent currents.
A similar level of danger can be said for the Singapore Strait, which has a high level of robberies against ships.
Meanwhile, the Molokai Channel will have Louis aware of marine life such as sharks and jellyfish, while the Beagle Channel's temperatures are close to freezing, even in the summer.
During his mammoth trek across the world, Louis will be joined by a 'support boat', which will assist with maritime traffic and be on hand in case of emergencies.
The Londoner explained to us he could be met with waves as high as 12 feet during his travels, but he's doing it all to raise money for Race Against Dementia, a global charity founded by Formula 1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart.
If you'd like to donate to Louis' cause, you can do so here.
Callum Jones