Water is for many people a means of transport, for others it is only hydration, but for Raga, water represents his sports medium. It is simple; he is not trying to measure strengths, but to feel that he belongs to that highly unpredictable and mysterious environment: the ocean. He has always (had a stronger inclination to / bent to) (been much more fond of) water sports, as he has shown with the disciplines he has practiced in this field with passion, dedication and perseverance.
Then, he got engaged with his first project. Destination: Margarita Island. Departure point: Peninsula de Araya in Morro de Chacopata, Sucre State. The look in his eyes. as he recalls and relates the crossing, transmits a mixture of emotions like a lack of experience, the risk of depending only on nature’s conditions, and the fear and anxiety that any man can feel when he has to face the huge sea.
It was on the 31st of August 2002, when Raga decided to take the risk and begin the crossing in a rough sea.Although he counted on his trainer and the team support, the conditions had changed, he was now alone and the success of the project depended mainly on him. The route had difficult stretches, strong waves slowed him down and deviated him about five kilometres, forcing him to make a harder effort, what caused him an unexpected physical and psychological weakening. At that point, he wanted his trainer to decide whether to continue, but both knew where they wanted to get and how to do it. It was the right moment to demonstrate what they were capable of; so, they continued.
After swimming approximately 28 kilometres in 12 hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds, Raga reached the goal when he set foot on La Isleta Beach, Nueva Esparta State. By doing this he became the second Venezuelan to cross the stretch between the continent and the Caribbean pearl. The frenzy, laughs, hugs and tears helped him realize he had made it. Tiredness was pushed into the background as the sun began to set on the horizon he had just crossed swimming.
The learning: “swimming in the open sea can have an ambiguous sense, it could change from the most relaxing to the most stressful experience, your physical and mental state can dominate you more easily. You can develop a man-spirit-environment connection, which is very important. You learn to not to demonstrate your superiority. You simply accept that there are elements like water, in this case, that are part of you”.
His creed: Do not give up. Continue in search of expanding the spaces of spirituality to reach a balance. Never lose the faith in God, nor in yourself.