UPDATE: In the early morning hours of July 27, 2009, I began my swim of the English Channel.  Unfortunately, I did not reach France.  At Hour 4 of my swim, my shoulder injury flared up, and for another five hours I battled intense inflammation as I moved eastward towards France.  At ~Hour 6, a storm hit-----and no storm had been forecast.  At ~Hour 7.5, the storm became quite strong, boasting Force 6 winds (25-30 mph) and vicious waves to match.  While my pilot boat did its best to block the waves from pummeling me, it was still a tough swim.  Worse than the waves, though, was the fact that the combination of a bum right shoulder and the force of the storm actually meant I was being pushed back towards England.  My support team and the boat captain reassessed my chances of making it to France even through the tough storm, as well as the likelihood of me causing permanent damage to my shoulder, and at Hour 9 we decided it was better to abort the swim attempt, and heal to swim another day.

Many thanks to everyone for the support of my swim and Special Olympics!!  I plan on tackling the Channel again sometime in the future.  In the meantime, I look forward to spending more time working and playing with Special Olympians, and I encourage you to befriend these amazing athletes and people, too.

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page and supporting Special Olympics!

I will swim the English Channel in July 2009 to fulfill my personal goal of conquering the Channel, and to raise support and awareness for Special Olympics Delaware and the Haidian Peizhi Special School in Beijing, China.

Donating through this website is simple, fast, and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts. If you are unable to donate---or are curious how to support me beyond donating---I encourage you to contact your local Special Olympics organization and find out how you can volunteer your time and friendship.

A quick summary of my story: I had planned on swimming the Channel in August 2006, after two years of training and after completing graduate studies in Cambridge, England and Beijing, China. In May 2006, I suffered a shoulder injury and was forced to postpone my swim and fundraising. I decided to train for a July 2009 swim, so that I could first finish law school. Now, both my shoulders are healthy, and I will graduate from Yale Law School in June and then spend several weeks training off the coast of Delaware before heading to Dover, England and swimming from England to France.

Why the Channel, and why Special Olympics? People often ask me why I want to swim the Channel. A large part is the physical and mental challenge of preparing for a Channel swim and then actually enduring the cold water and hours and hours of swimming to France. Thankfully, I really enjoy distance swimming.  Another large part is the opportunity to raise support and awareness for Special Olympics. I played Special Olympics summer softball for three years in college, and I taught English and basketball for six months at a Beijing school for students with intellectual disabilities. Both experiences inspired me. From softball diamonds in Delaware to classrooms and basketball courts in Beijing, my Special Olympian friends and students reminded me that sport can involve both competition and compassion, and taught me that we should all lend helping hands to pull others up without feeling like we're being pulled down. I now want to raise awareness of the need for programming that enables these athletes to take the field or court and enjoy the experience of athletic competition, and I want to raise the funding that is so critical to the future of such programming.

What will your donation support? If you donate directly through this website, your donation will support athletic programs run by Special Olympics Delaware, and the cultural and academic programming at the Haidian Peizhi Special School in Beijing (please contact me if you'd like additional information). If you would like your donation to support your own local Special Olympics organization, please contact me (bryan.townsend@gmail.com), and I will ensure your donation reaches that organization.

MANY THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!

Some quick info about the English Channel and my training:

How many miles is the Channel swim? The Channel is ~21 miles straight across, but swimmers end up traveling much farther than that (because the path across the Channel is S-shaped, due to the tides/currents). Think 30+ miles.

How long does a Channel swim take? The fastest time is just under 7 hours; the slowest time is 27+ hours. The average time is somewhere between 12 and 14 hours, and I'm shooting for anywhere in that range, though I'll be happy with any successful swim.

How cold is the Channel? In July/August, the Channel is usually between 59 and 62 degrees Fahrenheit (~15-17 degrees Celsius). Cold water and hypothermia are the primary reasons that Channel swimmers enjoy a success rate of ~10%.

What does training for the Channel involve? A lot of swimming.  And a lot of eating. In April/May 2009 my normal swim is 5000-6000 yards and takes 1.25-1.5 hours, but in June/July 2009, I will begin swimming regularly in open water, sometimes for more than 7 hours. In terms of food, I will eat as much as I need to in order to keep weight on. Swimming is great exercise, but I actually want to keep my body fat on, so I can stay warmer in the cold waters of the Channel. I also use resistance cords to strengthen my shoulders, and I do sit-ups and pushups when the mood strikes me. My coach and mentor is Ray Peden, a former Delaware State Trooper and a swimmer who crossed the Channel in 1986.

Will you wear a wetsuit when swimming the Channel? Nope. Wetsuits, or any suit that provides buoyancy or thermal insulation, are prohibited under the rules of the Channel Swimming Association (www.channelswimmingassociation.com).

Will you cross the Channel alone? I most likely will not be swimming alongside any other swimmers. But I will be swimming alongside a boat piloted by Reg Brickell, a very successful guide for Channel swimmers. I'll also have my father and youngest brother on board (who will help feed me, etc.) and an official observer from the Channel Swimming Association. Note: I am not allowed to touch the boat or any other source of physical support (e.g., other swimmer), or I will be disqualified.

How will you eat and drink in the Channel? I hope to take a break once per hour (though later in my swim, I may have to take breaks more often). Breaks will involve treading water, NOT getting on the boat, and eating/drinking from bottles that my support staff throw into the water from the boat. I will eat chewy items (probably Starburst jelly beans) to clear my throat of the brine and enable me to swallow, and then drink warm liquids (early favorite: warm Gatorade loaded with extra sugar). My breaks need to be quick (no more than a minute or two), so that the strong currents don't take me off course.