JOHANNESBURG, June 29 (Xinhua) -- A 55-year-old South African wants to break the world longest solo jet ski record in honor of late President Nelson Mandela to raise awareness about the challenges faced by persons with disabilities.

Marinus du Plessis wants to spend 40 days to do the jet ski from Norway to Greece. Du Plessis intends to leave Norway on July 7 through the North Sea, traverse the English Channel, before skimming across the Mediterranean to Athens, Greece. The whole journey is 11,000 km long.

The current world record of longest solo jet ski is held by Risto Piispa from Finland who traveled 3,074 km in 2014 from Helsinki in Finland to Ceuta in Spain.

"I want to heighten awareness about problems faced by physically challenged and autistic people and the best way I know how, is to tackle an endurance challenge on a jet ski. I do this in honor of Mr Nelson Mandela, my autistic brother and in the memory of a great friend, sadly no longer with us," said du Plessis.

He said he also wants to raise funds for the disabled by the jet ski journey. In 2006, du Plessis and his friend Adrian Marais completed the 17,500 km journey in 95 days, setting a world record. Enditem