French man aims to be first quadruple amputee to swim English Channel

From The NY Daily News:

Philippe Croizon (pictured) lost all his limbs in 1994, when he was electrocuted while trying to fix a television antenna. Now, the Frenchman is out to prove that his disability can't keep him tied to dry land.

Croizon, 42, plans to swim across the English Channel this summer. His 22-mile route would take him from England to France.

The quadruple amputee has been training to cross the Channel for two years, swimming for up to 30 hours a week and working out at a gym. He says he has wanted to make the journey since he watched a documentary about swimming the Channel while he was in a hospital.

"This is a dream and I'm determined to fulfil it," he told London's Daily Mail.

Croizon swims with the help of a specialized swimsuit, a long snorkel and a pair of artificial legs equipped with flippers.

He plans to cross the Channel in about 24 hours, escorted by a medical team.

Valerie Carbonnel, a physical education teacher who helps Croizon train, has seen a sea change in Croizon's physical fitness.

"When I met him for the first time in September 2008 he was unable to complete two lengths of a pool," she said. "He had no stamina, and his flippers did not propel him forwards at all."

But now, Croizon feels almost ready for his long haul across the Channel.

"The more I practice in the sea, the more I feel confident," he said.

Croizon trains in the bay at La Rochelle, France, where a team of coastguards follows him as he swims against the frigid current.

This against-the-odds adventure will not be the first for Croizon, who parachuted from an airplane three years ago.