In 1875, Captain Matthew
Webb became the first person to swim the treacherous waters of the Dover
Straits. Fuelled by beef tea and beer, Webb swam breaststroke and covered
the 38km stretch in 21 hours and 41 minutes.
At a reception in Webb's honour, the mayor of Dover boldly predicted that
no one would swim it again and indeed it was 36 years, despite 70 attempts,
before anyone did.
For Webb, glory brought ultimate disaster: known as a "superman"
for his marathon effort across the Channel, he died in an ill-judged attempt
to swim Niagara Falls.
Webb's enduring inspiration lives on in the many athletes who try to emulate
his feat. Over 6000 attempts have been made since 1875, with fewer than
400 being successful, a success rate of seven percent.
In
1994, Springvale marathon swimmers, Tammy and John van Wisse, created
history by becoming the first brother and sister team to cross the English
Channel.
The super-fit pair began their journey from Dover's white cliffs and followed
a strategically plotted course by experienced boatmen.
John, 21, smashed the Australian record previously held by Susie Maroney
by clocking 8 hours and 17 minutes. Only 15 minutes later, Tammy, 25,
stood on the French shore to claim the first successful brother and sister
title in the Channel's history.
The triumphant swim avenged the previous year's disappointment when John
had to be pulled out of the water just four kilometres from the finish
with hypothermia.
Olympic swimming legend Dawn Fraser, provided support on board John's
boat and believed the record swim was a classic moment in marathon swimming
history.
"It was a great swim by Tammy and John - they got there on sheer
guts and stamina," she said.
For more information on the English Channel visit:
www.channelswimming.co.uk
