From Neiva to Barranquilla, Kapax swam the Magdalena River without special equipment, becoming a symbol of the protection of nature and river life. He also toured the Amazon.
News Cop16.
Alberto Rojas Lesmes, better known as Kapax or ‘The Colombian Tarzan’, is an emblematic figure of Colombia, admired both for his sporting exploits and for his tireless defense of the environment.
Born on June 29, 1946 in Puerto Leguízamo, Putumayo, the son of a Colombian woman and a German soldier, Kapax spent his childhood in contact with the vast and mysterious rivers of the Amazon, which marked his deep love for nature.
Since he was young, he worked as a sailor and engine assistant on boats that sailed through southern Colombia, but his restless spirit led him to enter the jungle, where he lived, hunted and slept.
That experience not only made him an expert in survival, but also awakened in him a deep awareness about the fragility of ecosystems.
The journeys that made him a legend
Kapax rose to fame in 1976 when he set out to undertake an unprecedented feat: swim the Magdalena River, from Neiva to Barranquilla, without the use of specialized equipment.
Only armed with a loincloth and a feline fang hanging around his neck, he traveled the winding stretches of the river for more than a month in six-hour daily shifts.
This journey not only catapulted him to national stardom, but he became part of an environmental campaign called “Operation Rescue of the Magdalena River”, whose objective was to raise awareness about the needs of riverside communities and the importance of protecting Colombia’s rivers.
The reception in Barranquilla was tremendous. Nearly 30,000 people, including political and social figures, gathered to celebrate the man who dared to challenge the waters of the Magdalena, not only for sport, but for a greater good: the protection of nature.
This effort was followed closely by the national press, and Kapax quickly became a celebrity, appearing in fotonovelas, comic magazines, documentaries, and films.
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One of his most memorable appearances was on the Italian public television RAI program GeoetGeo, where his story reached international audiences.
Kapax established himself as the “ambassador of the rivers”, a tireless defender of the flora and fauna of the Amazon, and his figure was recognized both in Colombia and abroad.
In 2000, he swam again, this time in the Amazon River, from Puerto Nariño to Leticia, reaffirming his commitment to environmental conservation.
A symbol of environmental conservation
The figure of Kapax transcended sporting boundaries. In 2015, the Colombian House of Representatives awarded him the Simón Bolívar Order of Democracy in the Knight Cross degree, in recognition of his work as a defender of flora and fauna.
But perhaps one of the most emotional moments in his life was when former president Juan Manuel Santos defined him as “the symbol of a person who loves nature and rivers.”
Kapax was not only a swimmer, but a protector of Colombia’s sources of life.
In addition to being an ambassador for tourism and the environment, a title awarded by former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Kapax gave classes and talks to children in the Amazon region, educating about the importance of preserving rivers and wildlife.
He was always clear in his message: “Rivers have their dignity, and men are no one to sully it.” This thought led him to warn about the dangers of modernity and the lack of awareness in the destruction of ecosystems.
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