Swimming the English Channel
In 1875 Captain Matthew Webb became the first person to swim the treacherous waters of the Dover Straits. Fuelled by beef tea and beer, Webb swam breaststroke and covered the 38km stretch in 21 hours and 41 minutes.
At a reception in Webb's honour, the mayor of Dover boldly predicted that no one would swim it again and indeed it was 36 years, despite 70 attempts, before anyone did.
For Webb glory brought ultimate disaster: Known as a "superman" for his marathon effort across the Channel, he died in an ill-judged attempt to swim Niagara Falls.
Webb's enduring inspiration lives on in the many athletes who try to emulate his feat. Over 6000 attempts have been made since 1875. Less than 1000 swimmers have made the crossing.
On 7 October 1927, Mercedes Gleitze became, at her eighth attempt, the first British woman to swim the channel. She swam from France to England in 15 hours 15 minutes. Miss Gleitze carried a small gold watch, "which was found to have kept good time throughout." This was one of the first Rolex Oyster waterproof watches which the director of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, had asked her to wear during her repeat attempt, and her feat was subsequently used in advertising by Rolex.
Channel swim for man without limbs
Channel swim for man without limbs
May 31, 2010
A FRENCH man who lost all of his limbs following an electric shock is training to become the first quadruple amputee to swim across the English Channel this autumn.
Philippe Croizon, from Châtellerault in the Vienne, will attempt the crossing from Folkestone to the Cap-Gris-Nez between Boulogne and Calais in September.
The 41-year-old was amputated following an accident in 1994, when the TV aerial he was attempting to fix on his roof came into contact with an overhead power line.
He is training for up to 30 hours a week using prosthetic limbs with specially designed fins attached and hopes to complete the 34km crossing in a day.
Coastguards in the Charente-Maritime have been accompanying his training sessions in the bay at La Rochelle to help him get used to swimming against the tide.
Mr Croizon told the Sud-Ouest newspaper: "The more I practise swimming in the sea, the more I feel confident and ready to realise my dream."
You can follow his preparations online at Accueil
Kiwi Philip Rush - 2 & 3 crossing record holder
Philip Rush (New Zealand - born 6 November 1963) is the current world record holder for the fastest two and three way swim of the English Channel which he completed in 1987 in a time of 28 h 21 mins (he completed the two way in a time of 16 h 10 mins)
Amongst Philip's other achievement include swimming the English Channel 10 times, the Cook Strait 8 times, including one of only two people to complete a Double Crossing, a feat he achieved on 13 Mar 1984 in a time of 16 h 16 mins and repeated on 9 Feb 1988 in a time of 18 h 37 mins
To date only two other people have completed a three way channel swim. Jon Erikson in 1981 and Alison Streeter in 1990.
Open water swimmers are not allowed to wear thermal swimming costumes. To protect themselves from the cold, which can be lethal, they coat their bodies with grease, such as lanolin. Here marathon swimmer Philip Rush is being covered with grease before his successful double crossing of Lake Taupō in New Zealand
Australians first brother and sister team to cross
In 1993 Australian marathon swimmers, Tammy and John van Wisse, created history by becoming the first brother and sister team to cross the English Channel.
The super-fit pair began their journey from Dover's white cliffs and followed a strategically plotted course by experienced boatmen.
John, 21, smashed the Australian record previously held by Susie Maroney by clocking 8 hours and 17 minutes. Only 15 minutes later, Tammy, 25, stood on the French shore to claim the first successful brother and sister title in the Channel's history.
The triumphant swim avenged the previous years disappointment when John had to be pulled out of the water just four kilometres from the finish with hypothermia.
Australian to make Triple Channel crossing attempt
August 3, 2010 - 6:54AM
AAP
Marathon swimmer John Van Wisse is this week hoping to become the first Australian and only the fourth person in history to make a triple crossing of the English Channel.
The 37-year-old swimming coach from Beaumaris, Victoria will make an attempt on the record set in 1987 by New Zealander Phillip Rush at 28 hours and 21 minutes.
Van Wisse is in Dover, in south-east England, waiting for the best conditions to make the gruelling journey from England to France, France to England, and back to France again.
He could leave as early as Tuesday morning, or at the end of the week, and said the waiting is the most difficult part, mentally.
"It's very nerve-wracking," Van Wisse, brother of fellow endurance swimmer Tammy Van Wisse, told AAP.
"Once you're in the water it's alright, but it's all the lead-up that's the most nervous part."
The success rate for a single crossing is just 10 per cent.
The first triple was in 1981 by American Jon Erikson and the most recent was in 1990 by England's Allison Streeter.
Timing has to be spot on with the tricky weather and tides.
When each leg expected to take eight to 10 hours, it is the difference between success and failure.
"If I miss a tide it's seeya later," Van Wisse said.
"You can't be too confident with what you're going to do. A lot of things can go wrong."
Once Van Wisse is in the water he will have other things to worry about - hypothermia being the most dangerous.
He nearly died during his first attempt to cross the Channel in 1993, having to be pulled from the water with hypothermia four kilometres from the coast of France.
Van Wisse has been in training for the past six months, swimming throughout winter in the seven degree water off the coast of Melbourne.
Another important factor in his preparation has been bulking up his body fat by 9kg with a diet of pizza and doughnuts.
"Yeah, doughnuts, pizza, anything - I eat like a sumo wrestler," he laughed.
"I don't like doing it - well, sometimes I do - but a lot of times you don't feel very healthy."
Van Wisse became the fastest Australian to cross the Channel in 1994 in just eight hours and 17 minutes, and he has won the 47km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim three times.
He said he would be rapt if he could add the a triple Channel crossing to his list of achievements.
"If you do a triple, more people have walked on the moon, so it would just be hall of fame status," he said.
Australian grandmother swims English Channel
WA gran swims English Channel
From: AAP August 10, 2010 10:43AM
A PERTH grandmother who has become the oldest woman to swim the English Channel says thinking of the special people in her life kept her going during the crossing.
Sue Oldham completed the swim from Dover to the French coast on Monday morning (Australian time) in 17 hours and 31 minutes.
The 64-year-old, from Carine in Perth's north, first claimed the record in 2006 in a swim of 16 hours and three minutes.
``While a huge personal achievement, I did it for all who inspire me, like my son Michael and my five fabulous grandchildren,'' she said in a statement after her swim.
``In fact every hour of the swim I thought about someone special in my life, and that would motivate me to continue - that's what took me to the end.''
Speaking from the United Kingdom on Tuesday morning (Australian time) Mrs Oldham told ABC Radio in Perth she loved swimming in the ocean.
``When you start something you have to finish it don't you, no point in getting out when it gets a bit tough.''
The English Channel was regarded as the most difficult open water swim in the world, Mrs Oldham said.
``You just don't know what you're going to get because you've got currents and tides that could take you anywhere.''
The endurance swimmer said she struggled for five to six hours to get her stroke right and her throat began causing her discomfort along with a blocked nose and a sore right shoulder.
``But I would never stop, I would never give up, ever.''
Mrs Oldham's Perth trainer Pauline Pratt and fellow Perth endurance swimmer Selwyn Jellie were on the support boat encouraging her.
She was covered in grease and vaseline for the swim and was passed food and energy drinks on the end of a pole because once in the water she could not touch the boat or be touched by anyone until the finish.
Mrs Oldham said that after the swim she thought she would ``hang up my bathers and goggles and retire gracefully''.
But she said that after a glass of champagne to celebrate she thought she might still give the channel another go.
The record breaker said she probably swam 50km on her 2006 swim but the distance had yet to be worked out for her latest crossing.
A month before her 2006 solo swim, Mrs Oldham swam as the only female member of a relay team that still holds the world record for the oldest relay team to make the channel crossing.
For her latest crossing, she trained at Churchlands Senior High School swimming pool in Perth, swimming morning and evening for about five hours to fit around her part-time job.
Source: WA gran swims English Channel | Perth Now
Rough seas force John van Wisse to abort English Channel triple crossing
AUSTRALIAN swimmer John van Wisse yesterday (1am Monday AEST) aborted his attempt to swim the English Channel three times without stopping.
The 37 year old from Beaumaris, Victoria, was physically unable to complete the final leg of the gruelling 100km swim.
Having spent 19 hours and 55 minutes swimming from England to France and back, Mr van Wisse was too crippled with pain to continue.
He stopped the attempt when he reached the English coast near Dover.
"He was battered and bruised and no amount of coaxing could get him to continue," his sister Tammy van Wisse said. "He was so sore he couldn't lift his arms to get into the boat."
Mr van Wisse was attempting to become the first Australian and fourth person in history to attempt the triple Channel crossing.
He had aimed to break the world record time of just over 28 hours.
While he didn't reach his goal, his effort placed his him alongside only two other Australians who have swum the Channel twice without stopping.
Mr van Wisse's attempt was hampered by rough seas and foul weather which had also pushed back his swim start by a week. Three other swimmers attempting single Channel swims at the same time had to be rescued due to the large waves and 16 knot winds.
Full article: Rough seas force John van Wisse to abort English Channel triple crossing | Herald Sun
Man with no arms and no legs swims English Channel
Last updated at 1:11 PM on 19th September 2010
A man with no arms and no legs was today celebrating becoming the first to swim across the English Channel - arriving a full 10 hours ahead of schedule.
Philippe Croizon, a 42-year-old who lost all of his limbs in a freak accident, achieved the incredible feat using specially designed prosthetic flippers.
The Frenchman set off from Folkestone, Kent, at 8am on Saturday morning and reached Wissant, near Calais, just before 9.30pm.
‘I did it! It’s mad!’ were Philippe’s first words on arrival, saying he wanted to become ‘a representative of someone overcoming his restrictions.
‘I’ve done this for myself, for my family, and for all those who have suffered tragedy and lost their taste for life,’ added the father-of-two.
He swam at a constant 2mph - only slightly slower than an able bodied swimmer - in relatively good weather, and was accompanied by dolphins for part of the crossing.
Philippe had been expected to take some 24 hours to finish the 21 mile swim, but in fact did it in just over 13 hours.
On arrival he was telephoned by Nadine Morano, France’s families minister, who praised his ‘exceptional athletic performance’.
She said: ‘This heroic act proves that nothing is impossible when you believe in man.’
In 1994 Croizon was working as an electrician when he was hit by a 20,000 volt charge from a power line as when he tried to take a TV aerial off the roof of a house.
Medics had to amputate all of his limbs, but as lay in his hospital bed he saw a documentary about Channel swimming and was inspired.
Croizon trained for around 30 hours a week for more than two years, mainly on France’s Atlantic coast.
Philippe’s special fins which allowed him to swim were attached to his leg stumps.
He also wore attachments on his arm stumps, but these solely allowed him to balance, and to make sure he headed in the right direction. They also helped stop him getting sea sick.
2011 English Channel attempts
three of the 2011 contenders include another attempt at triple crossing by an Australian, a woman this time - Chloe McCardel - hoping to be the fourth ever, and second woman, to do the triple crossing in her scheduled July swim.
Triple crossing of English Channel a brutal test of mind and body
Daniel Lane
April 24, 2011
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Cold beater ... Chloe McCardel has bulked up for her big swim.
''To be in the water for more than 30 hours will require every ounce of energy and strength I have. I want to break records and create records … I want to be a pioneer for marathon swimming … and the triple Channel crossing is high on my list.''
McCardel said her previous English Channel swim had braced her for the mental - and physical - torture that awaited between the white cliffs of Dover and France.
''There are very strong tides and you can't believe the challenge of seeing land only a few hundred metres ahead of you, but you spend two or three hours swimming on the one spot because you can't swim past the tide in front of you.''
McCardel also revealed she'd put on 10 kilos for the challenge to help insulate her organs from the cold.
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and one from South Africa aiming for a single-crossing speed record
Kyle Main, Port Elizabeth
“I have dedicated the past few years of my life to make a record breaking attempt at the English Channel, and my preparation is essential, but it also aims to inspire others into watersports and profile our city across the world,” said Main.
The 28-year-old aims to become the fastest African, and top ten fastest swimmers ever to traverse the English Channel in the first week of September 2011.
While the average solo English Crossing time for the 36km distance from Dover to Callais is 13 hours, 20 minutes and 11 seconds, Main, is aiming to complete the swim in eight to eight and a half hours and in so doing set the fastest time for an African and post a top ten time in history in his first attempt. If successful he will clip close to 30mins off the fastest South African’s time of 08:58, set by Barend Nortje of Cape Town.
The fastest verified swim of the channel was by the Bulgarian Petar Stoychev on 24 August 2007. He crossed the channel in 6 hours 57 minutes 50 seconds.
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and an American
In August 2011, Doug McConnell of Barrington, Illinois, expects to be the 48th person over age 50 to successfully swim across the English Channel. He will be swimming more than 21 grueling miles in memory of his father, David, who passed away from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
McConnell, 53, who is a recipient of an artificial cervical disc developed by Medtronic, is using this endurance challenge to educate the public about ALS and raise funds for scientific research programs, which will be matched – up to $50,000 - by Medtronic. Medtronic, which pioneered the field of neuromodulation with therapies including deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease and neurostimulation for chronic pain management, also conducts research that may further the understanding of other neurological disorders like ALS.
“Swimming the English Channel has always been a dream of mine because I truly love swimming and I appreciate physical challenges,” said Doug McConnell. “When I decided to train for this swim, it was obvious to me that this effort could be much bigger, and it could be used to bring attention to a cause that has touched our family.”
history: Egyptian woman former record holder
Abla Khairy and the English Channel
Tue, 19/04/2011
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Abla Adel Khairy swam across the English Channel in 1974 at the age of just 13. Now a wife and a mother of two, Khairy looks back at her accomplishments and hopes for a better future for young athletes.
Perhaps Khairy's main influence as a youngster keen on swimming was her mother, who was also something of an aquatic athlete.
“My mother, Enas Haqi, was the first Egyptian female short-distance swimmer,” says Khairy. A student at the Lycee Francais, Haqi became a swimmer at the age of 22, taking part in many international contests and winning numerous trophies and honors.
“My mother launched the female basketball team at Cairo University back in 1951, which was unusual and frowned upon by many,” remembers Khairy. “I grew up in a household of a great athlete, and she is the one who inspired me to cross the English Channel,” explains the champion.
Khairy started swimming at the age of five as part of the Gezirah Club Swim Team, and then climbed the ladder gradually from one national contest to the other until she became part of the National Swim Team.
“After taking part in the International Nile Contest, I was nominated to cross the English Channel,” explains Khairy. In 1974, she broke the world record and crossed the Channel in twelve-and-a-half hours. “The following year it took me 11 hours,” she explains.
In 1976, Khairy wanted to swim the Channel in both directions. After 25 hours of non-stop swimming in challenging weather conditions, the young swimmer collapsed and was taken to the hospital only three miles from the finishing line.
“Swimming in the dark was one of the biggest challenges I faced. I cried the first time,” says Khairy, laughing. Jellyfish and their painful sting were another challenge.
Khairy is now the head of procedure development at Commercial International Bank and practices no sports at all. “I was offered a position in the Swim Union a year ago, but that did not happen,” she says.
“Nowadays people have changed, and sports for girls are frowned upon by many. The idea that a girl would put on a swimsuit in front of a crowd is unacceptable to many; we have gone 70 years backwards,” she says.
According to the athlete, there is much to be gained from involvement in sports. “Sports teach you a lot: discipline, a great sense of responsibility, and the ability to function under all circumstances and with all types of people in all aspects of life,” she says.
She feels bad for her mother, who put a great amount of effort into the sport of swimming, apparently in vain. “From what I hear there is little or no attention directed at young athletes, especially within the Swim Union,” complains Khairy.
Having a goal at an early age is tough; hard work and determination are a must. “I spent five hours of my day in the water, and in winter my training started at 5 am, before school,” she says. Family support is also important: “A champion is born into a family that is supportive and pushes him or her forward."
The young athlete dedicated her childhood to training, giving little or no time to leisure, in order to reach her ultimate goal -- crossing the English Channel.
Great achievement comes with patience, compassion, and hard work. The story of this young athlete who overcame great challenges is an inspiration to all. Let it be an inspiration for change.
Gertrude Ederle -first woman to swim English Channel
Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on the evening of August 6, 1926, a “bleary-eyed, waterlogged” American teenager stumbled out of the ocean and onto the beach at Dover England and was greeted by a British Immigration Officer politely demanding to see her passport.
The young American was Gertrude Ederle, and she had just become the first woman to swim the English Channel.
Her successful cross-channel swim began at Cap Gris-Nez in France at 07:05 on the morning of August 6, 1926. 14 hours and 30 minutes later, she came ashore at Kingsdown, Kent, England. Her record stood until Florence Chadwick swam the channel in 1950 in 13 hours and 20 minutes.
The passport request was just a publicity stunt because everyone in the western world, including the seemingly overzealous official, knew the teenage girl was coming and who she was.
Ederle was the sixth person —the first five all males — to swim the channel and she did so in a time that broke the best male’s record by almost two hours.
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When Ederle returned home, she was greeted with a ticker-tape parade in New York City. She went on to play herself in a movie (Swim Girl, Swim).
At the 1924 Summer Olympics, she had won a gold medal as a part of the US 400-meter freestyle relay team and bronze medals for finishing third in the 100-meter and 400-meter freestyle races.
Ederle had poor hearing since childhood due to measles, and by the 1940s she was completely deaf. She spent much of the rest of her life teaching swimming to deaf children. She never married and died on November 30, 2003 in Wyckoff, New Jersey, at the age of 98.[1] She was interred in the Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York.
