Ben + Ross + Lewis: 3 Unprecedented Stage Swims
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
Ben Lecomte – The Swim
Estimated Duration: 6 – 9 months
Course: an assisted transpacific stage swim from Choshi, Chiba Prefecture, Japan to California, U.S.A. across the Pacific Ocean
Distance: 8,721 km / 5,419 miles
Biggest Problems: weather disruptions + unsafe oceanic conditions + logistics
Start Date: June 5th 2018
Information: 30 days in water
Website: thelongestswim.com
Social Media: @BenLecomteSwim + @BenLecomteTheSwim + benlecomtetheswim
Tracker: thelongestswim.com/live-tracker/
Purpose: conduct citizen scientific expedition across the Pacific Ocean while drawing attention to plastic pollution in ocean
Comment: The transatlantic adventure swimmers leads a multi-national escort crew on the longest assisted stage swim in history while conducting a wide variety of human physiology tests and marine scientific experiments across the Pacific Ocean.
Ross Edgley – The Great British Swim
Estimated Duration: 100 days
Course: an assisted circumnavigation stage swim around Great Britain
Distance: 3,218 km / 2,000 miles
Biggest Problems: weather disruptions + turbulence + tidal conditions + jellyfish
Start Date: June 1st 2018
Information: 59 days in water
Website: rossedgley.com
Social Media: @RossEdgley + @rossedgleywriter + rossedgley + Redbull Fitness
Tracker: www.redbull.com/gb-en/projects/great-british-swim
Purpose: do the unthinkable
Comment: The personable adventurer, author and nearly always smiling fitness celebrity makes swimming around Great Britain an enjoyable challenge. His assisted stage swim (i.e., wetsuit) is entertaining to follow with his weekly vlogs, videos and social media presence.
Lewis Pugh – The Long Swim
Estimated Duration: 50 days
Course: an unassisted stage swim traversing the English Channel from Land’s End in Cornwall to Dover in Kent
Distance: 560 km / 348 miles
Biggest Problems: weather disruptions + turbulence + tidal conditions + jellyfish
Start Date: July 12th 2018
Information: estimated 50 days in water
Website: www.lewispugh.com/
Social Media: @LewisPugh + @LewisPughOceans + lewis.pugh + broadcast on Sky News in the UK
Tracker: lewispugh.com/the-long-swim
Purpose: to inspire people around the world to protect and preserve our oceans, and all that live in them, for a peaceful and sustainable future and to ensure that 30% of oceans are fully protected by 2030
Comment: The proven adventurer and channel / ice swimmer combines his serious mindfulness and tenacious focus as a dedicated marine environmentalist and ocean advocate to continue his lifelong mission of calling attention to the importance of protecting the world’s oceans.
Photo of Lewis Pugh is courtesy of Kelvin Trautman.
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