Abilities Lead To Epic Swim

Quick, how long would it take for someone who is a quadruple amputee to swim 21 miles? Try 13 1/2 hours.

Philippe Croizon, lost his limbs in an electrical accident, didn't let his abilities be wasted. His team expected it would take around 24 hours.

He said after, ""I've done this for myself, for my family, and for all those who have suffered tragedy and lost their taste for life."

It was the latest and most spectacular achievement by a man whose limbs were amputated after an electrical accident 16 years ago. Croizon's attitude to the disability is summed up by his memoir, which is entitled J'ai Décidé de Vivre, meaning 'I decided to live'.

In March 1994, Croizon – then a metalworker – climbed a ladder to dismantle a television aerial on his roof and it touched a power line. A shock of 20,000 volts nearly killed him and caused injuries which necessitated the removal of his arms and legs.

In hospital, he watched a TV documentary about swimming the Channel and fixed upon his eventual ambition. He has spent the last two years honing his swimming technique, spending around 30 hours each week in the waters off France's Atlantic coast.

He propels himself using long flippers attached to the stumps of his legs, with attachments on his arms helping him to steer and a mask and snorkel to breathe.

The method lets him average about two miles per hour."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/19/quadruple-amputee-swims-channel