Tweeting And Texting With Captain Matthew Webb

Courtesy of WOWSA, Dover, California.

Captain Matthew Webb was the first person to successfully swim across the English Channel in 1875.

How different would it have been if his exploit would have been reported as modern-day marathon swims are with GPS devices, Internet connectivity and online social networks?

If Captain Webb would have been followed on Facebook and Twitter with videos on YouTube and post-swim online interviews, along with digital images and commentary on his own website and blog with messages, sponsor support, tweets, pokes and texts to his friends and the swimming community at large, it is our guess that the global community of open water swimming would have grown massively from the 19th century.

With the help of communication technologies, the sport of open water swimming will continue to grow and become more international and interactive during the 21st century. Exciting times we swim in.

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