12 May 2009

A Rather Elite Club


So now that I’m “in this” for the long haul I’ve been doing more research into the personal stories of folks who made it across in years past. Somewhat embarrassingly, lots of the stories get me all teary-eyed. The determination! The emotion! The overcoming fears! It’s just too inspiring. Here is a link to my favorite story so far. I’ll be posting several here and there as I find them.

The real eye-opener, however, is just how small the “Channel Swim” club is. In total, only 841 people have made it across since the first completion in 1875. That’s fewer people than have climbed Everest. Fewer people than have run the 100-mile Ultra Run. In fact, it’s the most elite extreme athletic challenge on the planet. Will I be number 842? You can be darn sure I’m not stopping by choice. If it’s hypothermia then I have no choice. Otherwise, France, here I come.

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