Estonian distance swimmer Merle Liivand took to the waters off Far Rockaway to highlight the U.N. climate goals.
Photo by Paul Frangipane
In a prologue to Climate Week NYC, two Queens lawmakers joined the Swim Strong Foundation and the Water Safety Coalition at Beach 44th Street in Far Rockaway on Friday, Sept. 15, as they supported Guinness World Record holder Merle Liivand as she swam 330 meters with a monofin to bring attention to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.
After passing landmark climate legislation on Sept. 14, Councilman Shekar Krishnan explained why Far Rockaway was the perfect location for the gathering.
“The climate crisis is at our doorstep, it is at our shoreline and if we don’t take urgent action to make New York City more sustainable, then the extreme heat, the torrential rains, the flooding that we unfortunately know all too well will continue and the city won’t be the sustainable place that it has to be for all of our communities and for all New Yorkers,” Krishnan said. “What is so meaningful about Merle’s swim is in addition to its timing, it is calling us to action, to keep in mind the U.N. initiative’s commitment to by 2030 ending poverty, protecting our planet and caring for our climate and the earth and I think those values frankly link to every other issue and crisis we face in our society.”
Woodside resident Shawn Slevin, who founded Swim Strong 17 years ago to teach the city’s youth about water safety, spoke about the urgency of rising tides due to climate change.
“There’s no better place than the Rockaways to show strength and resilience in terms of creating equitable opportunities for health, safety and recreation as it relates to how we interact with the water,” Slevin explained. “In the past I felt like I was a lone voice in the wilderness calling for change but now I’m part of a huge chorus not only demanding change but buying in to create it.”
Liivand recalled how she was…
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