Monte Monfore

Extreme Swimming
Monte Monfore is taking sport to the limit, dedicating his life to ocean swimming in Indonesia and around the world. In 2004 the former English instructor ended his private teaching business in Tokyo and moved to Bali to focus on marathon swimming. Intending to spend the rest of his life in Bali Monte is committed to promoting Indonesia internationally while swimming in support of environmental and humanitarian concerns.

Green and Humanitarian Swimming

Monte is gaining widespread recognition not only as an ocean swimmer, but also as an environmentalist and humanitarian. In hundreds of published articles he has campaigned for ocean conservation while swimming for humanitarian causes. Following the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, after his spring 2005 17-kilometer Badung Strait crossing (Nusa Lembongan to Bali) Monte spoke passionately about the plight of victims in Aceh, Sumatra and elsewhere. In 2006 the endurance athlete began swimming in support of the United Nations

UN Swimming

October 2006 in support of the United Nations Millennium Campaign the marathon swimmer completed a first-ever recorded crossing of Lake Batur in the highlands of Bali. Footage of the event was sent worldwide by Reuters Television to bring the plight of extreme poverty into living rooms around the globe. Also in 2006 Monte contributed to two World Food Programme efforts. In May as part of the global WFP Fight Hunger campaign the athlete swam a double-crossing of the 4-kilometer Bali Strait. In June following the devastating earthquake in central Java his 12.5-kilometer (four-hour) Yogyakarta Earthquake Relief Swim raised awareness and support for victims and publicized WFP emergency relief efforts. In May 2007 Monte swam another WFP Fight Hunger Swim in Lombok and his Millennium Campaign Satu Hati Education Swim saw him swim from Bali to Java on Indonesian Independence Day August 17. Monte's 6-kilometer Reverse Climate Change Swim from Serangan Island to Nusa Dua - another Millennium Campaign event - supported the United Nations Climate Change Convention in Bali December 2007.

Ocean Enthusiast

While it is common for people to fear swimming in the depths of the open sea, Monte thrives on it. This was not always the case as the swimmer panicked and returned to the boat upon seeing a one-meter reef shark while snorkeling on his first trip to Bali in 1990. Spending nearly half his time in Bali since then has transformed Monte from ocean neophyte to marine specialist. Bali is where he has become a scuba diver, free diver, big wave surfer, and experienced channel swimmer. The intrepid ocean lover even feels comfortable swimming in the sea at night half the year when seasonal winds prohibit daytime training.

Aquatic Achievements

A champion age-group and high school swimmer, Monte retired from the sport at 18, choosing to focus on water polo at the University of California at Berkeley, where he received a bachelor's degree in Social Science. Following a 10-year break from swimming he returned to competition at age 29. His two-year Master's swimming career resulted in more than a dozen national records, culminating with a Master's world record for the 400-meter individual medley at UCLA in 1991. Monte swims over a million meters a year (80-120 kilometers a month), training in the ocean and pools in Bali, California, and elsewhere. During his channel crossings Monte strictly obeys the rules of ocean swimming: no wetsuit, no fins, and no touching the support boat.

Personal History

Born and raised in Hanford, California (an agricultural and farming community in central California with 50,000 people and 100,000 cows), in high school Monte was an honor student and All-American in swimming and water polo. A former private English instructor in Tokyo, Monte is single and speaks conversational Japanese. His three sisters and father, a retired general surgeon, live in California, Oregon, and Hawaii. Monte's interests include surfing, free diving, classical music, opera, and ballet, art history, and film.

Future Swims

Among Monte 2008-2010 events are a swim supporting Bali Community Cares organization for children of HIV/AIDS patients, a Save the Forests Swim with Greenpeace, a Fight Hunger Swim with recently appointed WFP Fight Hunger Ambassador Drew Barrymore, a Water For Life Swim, an Earth Day Swim in Singapore, another Millennium Campaign Swim, a Save the Reefs Swim, and a ONE.org Swim.

Monte welcomes event funding and ideas or proposals for future humanitarian, environmental, and save the reef swims. A portion of funding is contributed to charity each event.