At 70, He Swam the English Channel in Under 16 Hours — the Oldest Person Ever to Do It
3 min read · RealCase summary
George Brunstad, a 70-year-old retired airline pilot from Wilton, Connecticut, trained for a year in cold Maine waters to prepare for an English Channel crossing. He had originally planned to swim on his birthday the Wednesday before, but postponed due to bad weather.
On August 29, 2004, he swam the roughly 21-mile route from Dover to Sangatte, France in 15 hours and 59 minutes, breaking the previous record held by Australian swimmer Bertram Batts, who had done it at 67 in 1987.
"I feel wonderful. I am tired, but this is it, I've got the world record and I feel wonderful," Brunstad said afterward. "When I arrived I just said 'Praise the Lord,' stood on the beach and raised my arms in a V sign." The swim raised money for Centre for Hope, a charity he founded to help children in Hinche, Haiti.
Key takeaways
- ›Returned to swimming at age 40 after years away, then competed in Masters programs for 31 years before attempting the Channel
- ›Trained specifically for the Channel swim for one year in the cold waters off the coast of Maine
- ›Completed the 21-mile solo crossing in 15 hours, 59 minutes at age 70, becoming the oldest person to swim the English Channel
Original source
Read the original (Swimming World Magazine)
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