(Story courtesy of Colorado College)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Three siblings
will attempt to make history by swimming the English Channel at the
same time on July 22, 2014.
Danielle, Dustin, and Devin Wahl ’12 also hope to raise
$20,000 or more for the fight against Alzheimer’s Disease,
which affects millions of people every year, including two members
of their immediate family.
“Our uncle, Konrad, is currently in the last stages of his
battle with dementia,” Devin wrote on his blog. “He is
our favorite uncle and we have a lot of fond memories of him. He
always had a big smile and supported us fully in our endeavors. A
large part of this swim is in honor of Uncle Konrad.
“Our grandpa, Jerry, passed away from the disease when we
were young. Although we were young at the time, grandpa remains in
our memories.”
Considered the Mt, Everest for endurance swimmers, the English
Channel is 21 miles across from near Dover, England, to Calais,
France. The route crosses one of the world’s busiest shipping
lanes and is filled with other obstacles such as dangerous currents
and blooms of jellyfish.
The average water temperature in July is between 59 and 65 degrees
and the crossing can last anywhere between 10 and 20 hours.
“The channel is an incredibly dangerous swim and athletes
often suffer from extreme cramping, sickness, and
hypothermia,” Devin wrote. “We want to prove that
through dedication, diligence, and enthusiasm, one can accomplish
extraordinary and seemingly impossible goals.”
Devin, who earned honorable-mention All-America honors in the
800-yard freestyle relay during his senior year at Colorado
College, and Dustin are making their first attempt to swim the
English Channel.
Danielle, CC’s record holder in the three freestyle distance
events, was an honorable mention All-American in the 1650 free in
2012. She swam the English Channel successfully in 2013,
crossing in nine hours and 49 minutes.
Danielle swam at Colorado College as a freshman and then
transferred to Centre College. Dustin also swims for Centre.
Mathew Webb was the first to swim the channel in 1875, crossing in
21 hours and 45 minutes.
To learn more about the Wahls’ challenge or to make a
donation, please visit their web page: http://wahlchannelcrossing.org/.
