How a Man with No Arms or Legs Will Swim All Around the World

Philippe Croizon lost his arms and legs in a terrible chance event 18 years ago . Since then , he has train to become a world year athlete . This summer , the Frenchman is going to swim between every continent in the world .

How Is This Possible?

This actually is n’t the first time Croizon has assay to float an amazing distance . In 2010 , at old age 42 , he swam the 21 miles across the English Channel in just 13 minute . To put that into perspective , the quickest verified swimming contract just under 7 time of day .

Leading up to the Channel swimming , he civilize like a lunatic — about 35 hours a hebdomad for two long time — and learn how to swim with his new consistence . He use homemade cinque attached with stirrup to what ’s left of his legs , and no prosthetics on his weapons system . Because he does n’t get enough torsion on his arm stroke , though , he uses a large snorkel that runs up the center of his cheek to breathe .

Why Do This?

While deal with depression follow his accident , Philippe became prompt by a distaff swimmer swimming the English Channel . The determination that die into that act gave him hope , and finally , 15 years afterward , conduct him to train for his own swim across the Channel . “ I want to be the beacon of hope , ” he severalize Le Télégramme in 2009 .

He ’s continued to seek to be an inspiration to others in his billet . He wrote a Word of God about overcoming his economic crisis using voice command . Now , he ’s on a mission to “ symbolically link the five continents ” by swim , along with his friend Arnaud Chassery , from continent to continent across oceans and straights and ocean .

Where Will He Swim, Exactly?

Croizon ’s swimming starts in May , when he ’ll float from Indonesia to Papua New Guinea . Then it ’s across the Red Sea between Jordan and Egypt , and the Strait of Gibraltar between Africa and Europe . The last leg is a swim across the Bering Strait between America and Asia in August .

All told , it will be about 53 miles and 45 hours of continuous swim . There will be strong currents , and the course of instruction will take them through water system inhabited by shark , orca whale , and poisonous jellyfish , and water temperature varying from 80 degrees Fahrenheit down to 32 .

It ’s an incredible point to get to , and it ’s taken years of breeding and preparation , but Croizon is an exercise of what sheer purpose — and some carbon roughage prosthetics — can countenance you accomplish . you could postdate his swim , or donate to the foundation , at theofficial Swimming Beyond Borders site . [ Le TeleGramma , Arborath , Daily Telegraph , Daily Mail , Swimming Beyond Borders ]