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Man is attempting to swim across the Atlantic

By T.K. Randall
December 2, 2016 · Comment icon 28 comments

The challenge will involve covering over 1,900 miles of open sea. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 Vix_B
British swimmer Ben Hooper has embarked on a seemingly impossible feat of strength and endurance.
Swimming the English Channel - the 22-mile wide stretch of water dividing the United Kingdom and France - was first accomplished in 1875 by Matthew Webb who took 21 hours and 45 minutes.

Ben Hooper however has his sights set on something bigger... a lot bigger.

On November 13th, he set out from Dakar in Senegal in the hope of becoming the first person ever to swim across the Atlantic Ocean - a distance of over 1,900 miles.

In order to succeed, he will be swimming 10 hours a day for more than five months solid. It will be like running a marathon every day with only a few hours of rest before the next one.
So far however, 18 days in to the challenge, he has only managed to cover a mere 67 miles due to rough seas and countless jellyfish stings which have continuously slowed him down.

"I had expected the ocean to be more rolling and less choppy," he said.

"I am regularly turned upside-down by freak waves and have currents all over the place during each session despite swimming in one direction."

While the 38-year-old is keen to continue, he will need to pick up the pace as at his current speed it is going to take him until 2018 to reach Brazil and there is little chance he will be able to maintain such a high level of physical exertion every day for a whole year.



Source: IFL Science | Comments (28)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #19 Posted by Grand Moff Tarkin 7 years ago
51 miles done so far?  At this rate it's gonna be a long time before they see any return from it. 
Comment icon #20 Posted by Still Waters 7 years ago
Latest -  
Comment icon #21 Posted by third_eye 7 years ago
well ... at least he tried ... ~
Comment icon #22 Posted by Grand Moff Tarkin 7 years ago
Surely they must have known this was a potential hazard. Was there no way they could have taken precautions against it? Surely that's just irresponsibility of the highest order if there was nothing they could have done to guard against it but they still allowed him to go on with it.
Comment icon #23 Posted by Hyades 7 years ago
Seem like he didn't wear a swimsuit, at least, legs, torso, would of been protected.  Anyhow, that's really unfortunate, hope he can continue!
Comment icon #24 Posted by Myles 7 years ago
He made it 22 days which is a pretty good accomplishment in my eyes. 
Comment icon #25 Posted by Eldorado 7 years ago
English women.
Comment icon #26 Posted by stevemagegod 7 years ago
whio she kid goku?
Comment icon #27 Posted by Still Waters 7 years ago
Latest -  
Comment icon #28 Posted by Eldorado 7 years ago
Pfft.  He coulda walked it by now. (If he was Jesus)


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