At 70, Indonesian Alumnus Swims Madura Strait to Aid Women Fishers Displaced by Sea-Level Rise

At 70 years old, Jimmy Sukrisno is proving that personal commitment knows no age limit. On November 1, the veteran marathoner and alumnus of Kolese Kanisius (Canisius College) will plunge into open waters to swim across the Madura Strait in East Java, aiming to throw a lifeline to coastal women fishers battling severe tidal flooding.

Sukrisno is among 19 amateur swimmers participating in Xtreme Impact 2026, a humanitarian open-water challenge organized by alumni of Jakarta's premier Jesuit secondary school.

The route will see swimmers navigate the strait separating Madura Island from East Java's provincial capital, Surabaya, finishing at the Indonesian Navy’s Koarmada II Fleet Command base. The initiative serves as part of the “100 Actions for 100 Years” campaign leading up to Kolese Kanisius’ 2027 centenary.

While the broader initiative seeks to raise 1 billion Indonesian rupiah (approx. $60,000) for climate relief, Sukrisno is spearheading a dedicated sub-campaign on BenihBaik.com targeting 15 million rupiah (approx. $900) titled “Every Stroke, A Hope.”

For Sukrisno, who maintained his fitness through marathons while studying in Germany, the swim translates physical endurance into concrete ecological solidarity.

The funds will directly support the Puspita Bahari Women Fishers Association in Timbulsloko, a coastal village in Central Java’s Demak Regency where severe shoreline erosion and sea-level rise have submerged homes and roads.

“For us, the sea is a mother,” explained Masnu’ah, head of the association, whose members rely on processing seafood to maintain economic independence amidst worsening coastal inundation.

Proceeds will construct climate-adaptive infrastructure, including floating roads, clean water points, and Omah Iwak, a dedicated seafood processing facility designed to help women maintain livelihoods above water.

“Swimming across the Madura Strait is only the medium. The real goal is to build a bridge of hope for our brothers and sisters who have lost their land,” said campaign initiator Arto Biantoro during a press conference in Jakarta.

Supported by the Indonesian Navy and medical partners, the broader initiative will also provide free cataract surgeries for 150 low-income patients in Surabaya.

As Catholic educational networks across Asia seek practical responses to ecological destruction, Sukrisno's 70-year-old journey highlights how alumni can channel personal passion into active service for vulnerable communities living on climate change's frontlines.