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111 been reduced by 80 percent over the past 10 years. This has mostly been done through a combination of two unnecessary acts: firstly, the sharks being caught accidentally in trawl- ing nets, and secondly, their being finned for soups, which are used in some traditional Asian cuisines for their supposedly medicinal bene- fits (probably good for men’s stamina). These numbers aren’t expected to rebound anytime soon either, as sharks mature later in life and don’t have many offspring. The ramifications are huge, as sharks are scientifically known as apex predators, or in layman’s terms, “badass- es of the deep.” The entire food chain is thrown into disarray by their removal. Oddly enough, Giraudeau isn’t worried about sharks on her upcoming campaign for them, as there aren’t that many dangerous species in that location; but floating schools of jellyfish do pose a serious concern. She will have one of her teammates, Wilco Both, ahead of her in a kayak for navigation purposes, plus a boat crew following her for both logistical support and possible emergency assistance. This will be the first time anyone has ever done this particular swim. For the feat to be recognized as a marathon swim, she has to follow the open water swimming rules, which means she is not allowed to touch the boat or stop treading water at any time. She also has to eat and drink while treading water. Every half hour she will consume a protein bar and some coconut water. The training regimen has been intensive. Giraudeau swims between 3 and 10 kilome- ters every day at the Namsan athletic center, with her training partner, Mark, joining in sev- eral times a week. She consults regularly with her coach in South Africa and with her friend Ayesha Cantrell, who will be running the boat crew. Along with Both, Cantrell also coordinat- ed the relay race around Koh Tao. Being refreshingly honest, Giraudeau admits, “I’m scared every day about it, but I just try to use that fear to push me to train harder and harder.” Besides jellyfish, one of the biggest obsta- cles she expects to encounter is the mental toll of the ordeal. The plan is to start at 2 a.m., in complete darkness, so she can end the swim in the sunlight of late afternoon, which will be easier on her psychologically. The team is to arrive in Thailand on May 16. They will then begin waiting for the perfect conditions before setting off and have allowed themselves three weeks for the forces to align. As if you need a reason to get involved with such a great cause, bear in mind that the heart- less bastards who are driving these sharks to extinction usually cut just the fins off before dumping them back into the water, leaving the animals to die an agonizing death. Those are the kinds of forces Giraudeau and Project Aware are up against. Asked about future plans, it doesn’t like seem she’ll be slowing down anytime soon. “Maybe I’ll try swimming from Jeju Island to mainland Korea next. We’ll see.” ‘Maybe i’ll try swiMMing FroM jeju island to Mainland korea next. we’ll see.’ —gene giraudeau MORE iNfO j To donate to the cause, go to fnathon.org/masterdivers. For more information, email fnathon2014@gmail.com.