Channel Swimming Is Good For Barry Watson

Courtesy of WOWSA, English Channel.

International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Swimmer Barry Watson of England is back in training.

The energetic 71-year-old’s new-found goal is to break the current record held by George Brunstad who is the oldest person to successfully swim the English Channel at the age of 70.

At the age of 26 in 1964, Watson set the English Channel record from France to England in 9 hours 35 minutes at the age of 26. He also swam the English Channel in 15 hours 21 minutes in 1968, in 13 hours 56 minutes in 1969 and in 15 hours 14 minutes in 1970. He was the British Long Distance Swimming Association champion in Lake Windermere in 1963 and 1964, the 1967 British Long Distance Swimming Association Loch Lomond champion, the British Long Distance Swimming Association 2-way Lake Windermere champion in 1966, 1967 and 1968, and the British Long Distance Swimming Association champion from Fleetwood to Morecambe in 1963, 1965, 1966 and 1967. He swam the length of Lake Windermere in England more than 20 times.

Now, at the age of 71, he is back in training with the goal of repeating his earlier Channel successes.

Watch an interview with Watson here where he says, among other things, “I do not think I am going to stop now. Swimming is good for you. I still think I am 30.”

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