Daredevil Swimmer Wants To Swim From New York To Woolwich

by Benson Agoha | Adventure

Many have tried to swim across the 50.5 klms Channel distance between France and the United Kingdom, and failed. In fact Michael Ventre, who now nurses a bigger ambition to swim from 3,800 klms from New York to Woolwich in London, UK, had attempted the Channel - and failed.

 

 

Way back in 2007, Mr. Ventre, now 38, attempted it and gave up after 13 hours when he was pulled out of the water in sight of the French coast.

* 50.5 klms from France to UK

But, according to Swimmers Daily, he was not disheartened for the reason that 13 hours of swimming is still a huge achievement. He learnt his lesson though - the value of endurance. Well, that was then.

Because, in 2011, on his third attempt, he succeeded in crossing the Channel. Since progressing Molokai and Catalina, both which are listed among the Oceans Seven - the seven long-distance open-water swims, that swimmers consider the marathon swimming equivalent of the Seven Summits mountaineering challenge.

 

* Distance from New York, NY to London is 3,459 miles,
the rest is between the coast to the Thames barrier in Woolwich.

So why this long distance attempt? "But that wasn’t quite enough. He wanted an extreme challenge, a swim that had never been attempted before" swimmers daily said.

So in setting the new lofty ambition, he will be scaling down his hours. But to swim 3,800 miles is still a bit challenging - to us at least.

“I began Googling the world’s longest swims,” says Michael. “That’s when I came up with the idea of swimming from New York to London as it hadn’t been done before.”

 

But is he able? He says its all about endurance, having the mental aptitude to go the distance.

 

In this accompanying video, he said: "when I look out to the oceans and see this massive expanse of water, it seems like total freedom to me, but at the same time, I want to cross it." and Oxfam is supporting him in his ambition.

 

The project, is expected to test him to the limits but he says, he wants to change people's lives and hopefully have a huge impact on society.

 

But you never know what nature is going to bring and this massive expanse of water, filled with creatures of all sorts will test him..but over here in Woolwich, we will be wishing him luck and looking forward to him completing it.

 

He hopes to raise £5 million for Oxfam and we hope that he reaches and surpasses.

 

He is due to leave New York in April 2017.  Born in Gaborone, Botswana to British parents, he has lived in South Africa before moving to UK.

 

"Mentally and physically, I have been through quite a bit ... I am not the fastest swimmer in the world," he says "but I have got a lot of experience behind me to keep pushing and to keep going on."

 

The attempt is being financed through crowd-funding and will be swimming 6 - 8 hours a day.