He participated in exhibition swimming matches and stunts such as floating in a tank of water for 128 hours. [10], Webb's final stunt was to be a dangerous swim through the Whirlpool Rapids on the Niagara River below Niagara Falls, a feat many observers considered suicidal. American Sarah Thomas crosses the English Channel for the fourth consecutive time on Sept. 17, 2019. This undated photo shows Thomas swimming the English Channel. Fifty-four hours and a few minutes later, the breast cancer survivor from Colorado had accomplished a remarkable feat, becoming the first person to … ), Bust of Captain Matthew Webb on Dover Seafront, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matthew_Webb&oldid=993121471, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the ODNB, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2019, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 8 December 2020, at 22:17. But I'm the best that I can be right now, with what I've been through, with more fire and fight than ever," she wrote in her Facebook post dedicating this swim to "all the survivors out there.". He wrote a book called The Art of Swimming[9] and licensed his name for merchandising such as commemorative pottery. (CNN) -- An American cancer survivor has become the first person to swim across the English Channel four times nonstop. ISBN 0-947731-23-7. Captain Webb, Son of a Physician, Received Training as Sailor in China Trade. American open water marathon swimmer Sarah Thomas just became the first person to swim across the English Channel four times, nonstop. The first person to swim solo across the English Channel was Captain Matthew Webb, in 1875. Marilyn Grace Bell Di Lascio OOnt (born October 19, 1937) is a Canadian retired long distance swimmer.She was the first person to swim across Lake Ontario and later swam the English Channel and Strait of Juan de Fuca. Thomas, who lives in Colorado, was diagnosed with breast cancer less than two years ago and underwent treatment in the months that followed. LONDON — An American cancer survivor has become the first person to swim the English Channel, which separates England and France, four times nonstop. Backed by three escort boats and smeared in porpoise oil, he set off into the ebb tide at a steady breaststroke. [12] Webb was interred in Oakwood Cemetery, Niagara Falls, New York. It was a fog-shrouded morning, July 4, 1952, when a young woman named Florence Chadwick waded into the water off Catalina Island. [20] His death also inspired a poem by William McGonagall.[21]. The first recorded trip across the channel took place at the end of the 19th century by Matthew Webb, whose trip lasted 21 hours and 45 minutes. Directed by Gaby Dellal. While four swimmers previously crossed the Channel three times without stopping, Thomas is the first to do it four times, the Guardian reports. Thirty-seven-year-old American open-water marathon swimmer Sarah Thomas just became the first person in the world to do this, swimming across the English Channel four times nonstop. The first attempt to swim the Channel The first recorded attempt to swim the Channel was in 1872 by a man called J B Johnson. Accounts of the time indicate that in all likelihood Webb successfully survived the first part of the swim, but died in the section of the river located near the entrance to the whirlpool. The man was never found, but Webb's daring won him an award of £100 and the first Stanhope Medal, and made him a hero of the British press. Webb Missing Yet. Not much is known about his … LONDON — An American cancer survivor has become the first person to swim the English Channel, which separates England and France, four times nonstop. [5] Despite stings from jellyfish[6] and strong currents off Cap Gris Nez which prevented him from reaching the shore for five hours,[7] finally, after approximately 21 hours and 40 minutes,[5] he landed near Calais—the first successful cross-channel swim. An 11 year old boy swam across the English Channel in 1988, in under 12 hours. CNN — An American cancer survivor has become the first person to swim across the English Channel four times non-stop. No. Sarah Thomas, a 37-year-old from Colorado who completed treatment for breast cancer a year ago, just became the first person to swim across the English Channel four times in a row. With Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn, Billy Boyd, Sean McGinley. He acquired his ability to swim in the River Severn at Coalbrookdale. (CNN) — An American cancer survivor has become the first person to swim across the English Channel four times non-stop. (CNN) — An American cancer survivor has become the first person to swim across the English Channel four times non-stop. [16], Webb has a statue in Dover,[17] and a memorial plaque with his portrait was also unveiled in the parish church at Coalbrookdale. She completed her fourth lap of the channel 54 hours and 13 minutes later on Tuesday morning, after 133 miles of swimming. Long-distance swimming was not new to her; she had been the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. 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