From a young age, Maarten van der Weijden from the Netherlands was known as a promising swimming talent

However, before his career could begin he faced a challenge that could have ended it all

At only 19 years old Maarten was diagnosed with cancer

But the resilient swimmer beat cancer and 7 years later he became a gold medalist at the Olympic Games in 2008 Beijing

Most athletes are known for pushing themselves to the limits and Maarten is no exception

Recently the swimmer attempted to swim the entire 200 kilometers (120 mi) long track of the Elfstedentocht in the Netherlands

The sole reason behind the event was to raise funds for cancer research, a cause close to Maarten’s heart

The swim was scheduled to take 3 days, including very short naps to rest

However, as Maarten swam further he fell ill and the water was deemed too polluted for him to continue

He had managed to swim a distance of 163 kilometers in 55 hours

Here’s how his hands and feet looked like after 55 hours in the water

The fundraising campaign was a huge success. The swimmer raised a stunning sum of more than $4 million!

Here’s what people had to say