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Maarten van der Weijden ends swim tour due to illness

Swimmer Maarten van der Weijden has officially halted his 22-city tour due to stomach flu and fever.

22 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Maarten van der Weijden ends swim tour due to illness — Archive photoPhoto: McSmit · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Maarten van der Weijden has canceled his 22-city tour due to persistent symptoms of stomach flu and fever. He announced this on Friday after several days of illness. Van der Weijden, who is raising money for research into the effects of childhood cancer, could not continue swimming and ended his journey in Oudewater, in the province of Utrecht.

The swim tour began on Monday in Vught and was scheduled to conclude tomorrow in Utrecht, covering a total distance of 270 kilometers. However, the progress of the tour had already been complicated earlier. On Wednesday, Van der Weijden was unable to swim as he woke up feeling nauseous and having stomach issues.

It was confirmed yesterday that Van der Weijden was unable to attend the cheque presentation due to his health condition. This event was set to take place on Saturday at the Princess Máxima Center in Utrecht. The hospital confirmed the information following reports by AD.

With the swim tour, Van der Weijden aimed to draw attention to the importance of research into childhood cancer. His efforts and the activities surrounding the tour have already garnered significant support and attention.

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