Quadruple amputee swims the Channel
Peter Walker, Guardian .co.uk, Sunday, 19 Sept. 2010

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Philippe Croizon, who lost his limbs in an electrical accident, uses flippers to 
make crossing in 13 and a half hours

Only a few decades ago, it would have counted as one of the faster Channel swims of all time, so it was all the more remarkable that Philippe Croizon, who as no arms or legs, crossed in 13 and a half hours.

The 42-year-old quadruple amputee completed the 21-mile swim from Folkstone to Wissant, at Cap Gris Nez, almost twice as quickly as his team had expected.

He was assisted by favourable winds and, according to his exultant father, the encouragement of a pod of watchful dolphins. The three dolphins joined him for some of the crossing, and Gerard Croizon said: "We took that as a sign of good luck."

"I did it, it's crazy!" an ecstatic Croizon told French radio after being helped from the water late yesterday evening.

He had set off at 6.30am, expecting to spend up to 24 hours in the water. The swim was, he explained, "a symbol of overcoming your limits".

He added: "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.

On arriving in France, Croizon received a phone call from the French minister for families, Nadine Morano, who hailed his "exemplary courage and sporting performance".

She added: "We've been shown that it's possible to overcome your disabilities and have the determination to make your dreams come true. Philippe Croizon is a shining example who provides a message of hope and bravery for all the French, and the young people of our country."

Croizon's team believe his crossing was the fastest by a disabled swimmer. The record for an able-bodied crossing is now around seven hours, but it was not until the 1970s that swimmers regularly crossed the Channel faster than Croizon.

(guardian.co.uk)