Ben Hooper - Swim across Atlantic Ocean

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Comments

  • KatieBunKatieBun CornwallSenior Member

    ....except for the crew imbibing on board....... which doesn't and shouldn't happen.

  • loneswimmerloneswimmer IrelandCharter Member

    @Andiss, @evmo and I once had a conversation where we discussed what we would do if another DN type event was to arise...

    This is a valuable thread.

    KatieBunJSwimevmoTracy_Clark

    loneswimmer.com

  • andissandiss Senior Member

    Like i compare this with when Jonas Colting swam 600km across sweden 2014, now he didnt swim according to strict rules, he sometimes used hand paddles, and wetsuits and what have you, but he ACTUALLY Swam the whole of it and he was close to breaking point a few times..this seems quite relaxing.

    If you missed the colting swim, here's a blog post

    https://coltingblogg.com/2014/08/05/update-swimming-across-sweden-digging-deep-now/

    KatieBunloneswimmer
  • david_barradavid_barra NYCharter Member
    edited November 2016

    I'm starting my own Go-Fund-My-Martini page
    Gin..... of course.

    andissKatieBunIronMikeJSwimcaptainhaddocksuziedodsssthomasevmoJaimiejellyfishSydneD

    ...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

  • KatieBunKatieBun CornwallSenior Member
    edited November 2016

    @david_barra said:
    I'm starting my own Go-Fund-My-Martini page
    Gin..... of course.

    Do we get a free T-shirt if we donate?

  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited November 2016

    hooper-map

    hooper-speed

    DanSimonellisuziedods
  • This is ... just soooo wrong. I am not surprised but so sad and disappointed.

    loneswimmer
  • DanSimonelliDanSimonelli San Diego CASenior Member

    loneswimmer said:
    @Andiss, @evmo and I once had a conversation where we discussed what we would do if another DN type event was to arise...

    This is a valuable thread.

    Donal,
    I think it's way premature and unwarranted to put this in Diana Nyad territory!

    I think Ben is well meaning and with good intentions.
    I think this lack of reporting and questionable tactics and protocols (e.g. alcohol on board!) are about their lack of experience in general and not about any attempts, clandestinely or intentionally/unintentionally, to hide and cheat.

    I don't know why they're not reporting more and explaining more.

    I think they're thinking it's not necessary if Ben's not actually in the water swimming to post updates.

    I talked with them about this when I was involved early on, and I just sent an email, to the few emails I have for them, suggesting they post more updates and details, such as a daily digest.

    We'll see what happens with that...

    loneswimmerKatieBunRobyn8
  • EricEric Member
    edited November 2016

    DanSimonelli said: I think Ben is well meaning and with good intentions.
    I think this lack of reporting and questionable tactics and protocols (e.g. alcohol on board!) are about their lack of experience in general and not about any attempts, clandestinely or intentionally/unintentionally, to hide and cheat.

    Good intentions or otherwise, Ben has invited this scrutiny by making grand "world record" claims and criticizing previous swims (Lecomte, Figge) for less-than-exacting standards, when in reality, he is no closer to "swimming every mile" of the Atlantic than any of the rest of them.

    Good on him for sailing across the Atlantic and getting in some occasional swimming. Sounds like a fine adventure. But the claims are totally bogus, and I'm surprised that WOWSA and Guinness World Records would want their names associated with it.

    evmosuziedodsloneswimmercaptainhaddockbruckKatieBunslknightDanSimonellirlmphodgeszohoChrisgreene
  • loneswimmerloneswimmer IrelandCharter Member

    @DanSimonelli I get your points, I really do. I was like that. I just don't care about the swimmer's or anyone else's feelings in this case.

    My view is that we live in a post-DN world regardless of our principles. She accomplished her fraud in part because we weren't vocal enough. DN herself wasn't in "DN territory" until it was too late. Though to @Eric,
    I'm utterly unsurprised that WOWSA or Guinness would validate this nonsense.

    Fraud and deception are almost as deep and long in our sport as anything else we actually hold in principle. The only differences between the past and now, are now we have some tools (@evmo's Track.rs, AIS, SPOT), and community (MSF) to start questioning things. As for everything and everyone else? Fuck them. This sport has been hampered by the "gentlemen athletes" ideal, and we've been taken advantage of repeatedly.

    If I was very generous, I'd say Mr Hooper is swimming 1/3 of the distance. So going by his own rules, where he "will make it up at the end", how do you make up two more Atlantic's?

    evmossthomasbrucksuziedodsKatieBunslknightDanSimonellirlmphodgeszohoIronMikebluemermaid9pavlicovtimsrootMvGDeborah

    loneswimmer.com

  • bruckbruck San FranciscoMember
    edited November 2016

    My view is that we live in a post-DN world regardless of our principles.

    Somewhat perplexingly, on the part of Ben's website where he recounts the "history of Atlantic Ocean swims", he displays, along with pictures of Benoit Lecomte and Jennifer Figge, two pictures of Diana Nyad (who to my knowledge never attempted a trans-Atlantic swim).

    Huh?

    loneswimmerevmo
  • off topic.. but isn't the point of a snorkel to NOT lift your head?
    Admin.. ok to delete.. just had to vent.

    david_barraKatieBunevmo
  • DanSimonelliDanSimonelli San Diego CASenior Member

    Good point @Eric

  • DanSimonelliDanSimonelli San Diego CASenior Member
    edited November 2016

    loneswimmer said:

    Fraud and deception are almost as deep and long in our sport as anything else we actually hold in principle. The only differences between the past and now, are now we have some tools (@evmo's Track.rs, AIS, SPOT), and community (MSF) to start questioning things. As for everything and everyone else? Fuck them. This sport has been hampered by the "gentlemen athletes" ideal, and we've been taken advantage of repeatedly.

    Good points, Donal
    @loneswimmer

  • DanSimonelliDanSimonelli San Diego CASenior Member

    @bruck
    >
    So sad and disappointing to see that he associated himself with Nyad.

  • phodgeszohophodgeszoho UKSenior Member
    edited November 2016

    One of the problems of the post DN world (among many discussed here), is that when he lands in South America to much publicity, hype, and claims of world records, any dissent from the OWS cummunity and he will simply be able to marginalise it by pointing to DN's "swim" and say - "These are just the same sad 'naysayers' and 'sceptics' who tried to discredit her"... :-/

    PS that's skeptics for the North Americans ;-)

    evmoloneswimmerKatieBuncaptainhaddocksuziedods
  • KatieBunKatieBun CornwallSenior Member
    edited November 2016

    This is why it's important to keep careful track of exactly what's happening, right from the start, and to record any anomalies as and when they happen. Much of the scrutiny of DN's record claim happened post-swim.

    Mind you, it's mighty hard to get any answers when nobody approves questions on the FB page.

    loneswimmerSylviasuziedods
  • I am trying to get an update?? Website still says the batteries are low.
    ( did they NOT plan for that?)

    Sylviagregoc
  • edited November 2016

    The plot from Marinetraffic at 16:30 UTC today. There are two updates on Ben's personal FB page which state he swam 18km yesterday in two stints and managed one hour today before resting - no mileage given.
    Screen Shot 11-22-16 at 09.35 PM

    Just updated my spreadsheet that tracks miles swum each day. Assuming a distance of 1600miles for the swim at current rate of progress he will take another 337 days- assuming he swims 1875 miles, which is the distance between Dakar and Natal.

    KatieBunsuziedodsrlm
  • According to his FB page, which I am following with great interest, Ben has only swam for an hour today as the 'current was beastly'. He also points out that he is looking forward to a cold beer tonight at anchor miles from civilisation. Who else attempts to get in he Guinness Vook of Records for an epic swim while posting on FB that he's drinking beer? Would that we could all get into the Guinness book of Records under the same conditions!

    SylviacaptainhaddocksuziedodsKatieBunssthomasMarathonJane
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    Niek said:
    Where can we book such a luxury cruise?

    Plenty swimming if in the mood and all the booze you can get! :D

    Apparently all you have to do is talk a rich patron into funding your adventure. Then set up a website to solicit more donations. Knock out a few videos of you paddling around a bay or something. Then hook up a few friends, get a boat and you're off. Plus the stories you will be able to tell...

    suziedodsKatieBunSylviassthomas
  • I wonder if Sir Fiennes is actually fully aware of all of this...

    KatieBunloneswimmer
  • KatieBunKatieBun CornwallSenior Member

    .........and all of the sponsors, Suzie!

    suziedodsloneswimmer
  • You'd have to be daft to think anyone could swim the Atlantic anyway.... come on guys.

    The ocean currents will win this one.

  • malinakamalinaka Seattle, WACharter Member

    @WarmWater: Be careful with statements like that. Rough estimates are that 85% of forum members just took your last comment as a challenge.

    IronMikessthomascurlySoloMvGChrisgreenelecumminsVLM

    I don't wear a wetsuit; it gives the ocean a sporting chance.

  • DanSimonelliDanSimonelli San Diego CASenior Member

    captainhaddock said:

    Assuming a distance of 1600miles for the swim at current rate of progress he will take another 337 days- assuming he swims 1875 miles, which is the distance between Dakar and Natal.

    @captainhaddock
    I really appreciate the info you're providing here to help with group edification.
    But, "current rate of progress" is silly to use to propose duration. Even on a 20 mile swim, "current rate of progress" is so often completely off for predicting completion time. One could be in favorable or unfavorable currents or conditions that come and go. Happens almost all the time.

  • DanSimonelliDanSimonelli San Diego CASenior Member
    edited November 2016

    jellyfish said:
    Who else attempts to get in he Guinness Vook of Records for an epic swim while posting on FB that he's drinking beer? Would that we could all get into the Guinness book of Records under the same conditions!

    Ummmm...how about Capt Matthew Webb and Roger Finch!! ;)

    Yes, Roger will appreciate the association! :)

  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member

    DanSimonelli said:
    . One could be in favorable or unfavorable currents or conditions that come and go. Happens almost all the time.

    Or one could have a really good navigator and catch a favorable current. John? You out there? You're needed!

    DanSimonelli

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • curly said:

    Niek said:
    Where can we book such a luxury cruise?

    Plenty swimming if in the mood and all the booze you can get! :D

    Apparently all you have to do is talk a rich patron into funding your adventure. Then set up a website to solicit more donations. Knock out a few videos of you paddling around a bay or something. Then hook up a few friends, get a boat and you're off. Plus the stories you will be able to tell...

    Or state you are raising money for charity. I got suspicious when Ben organised a swim event for charity in Northumberland which I attended. We organised the lake for free and roped in at least 20 friends to join us. At a cost of £25 per head all monies raised were to go to charity however Ben did not donate any of the monies- well not until I contacted the charity, he then sent them a cheque for a measley £100.
    His various Go Fund Me pages have collectively raised £100's for his swim and his purported charities combined not thousands. He has dissolved one Swim The Big Blue company on the UK Companies House website and started another, clearly this man has no morals

    loneswimmerSylviaDanSimonellievmocurlyJuicyLucy
  • edited November 2016

    My tongue was firmly in my cheek when I posted 337 days @DanSimonelli, but there is a note of seriousness.

    I have spent much of my employed life being set targets to achieve within a set timescale and, in my experience, one needs from day 1 to remind oneself of what one has achieved so far and what needs to be done to reach the target. With that in mind, I set up a spreadsheet which tracks progress. The fact is, Ben stated he “will swim every mile of the 2000 miles across the Atlantic” and he projected he would take four months.

    The distance , as the crow flies, from Dakar to Natal is 1875miles. The target needed to swim the distance in the projected time (after the swim so far) is approx. 17 miles per day. Yes, there will be good days and there will also be bad and non-swimmable days. Ideally, both the projected finish date and the miles needed per day should decrease as he settles into the challenge and disciplines himself to stick to his intention of 2 x 6 hour swims per day. If the figures increase he has an even steeper hill to climb.

    loneswimmerKatieBunIronMikeDanSimonellievmomalinakasuziedods
  • loneswimmerloneswimmer IrelandCharter Member

    I agree with @captainhaddock, it's quite reasonable to look at the figure after a week and make projections and our projections are that this is haddockswallop.

    I think there's another point, which many of the more experienced swimmers implicitly understand, but which we should make more explicit.

    If you take an ultra endurance event in cycling, walking, hiking, it's possible to use the early part of the event to develop the fitness required in the later stages. This is exactly what polar explorers like Swim The Big Blue patron Ranulph Fiennes often actually do, so they'll have no understanding that this simply isn't possible with ultramarathon swimming.

    The accepted rule of thumb is no more than a 5% volume increase per week. (I'm not talking about variations between weeks due to life). Increasing by more is more likely than not to lead to serious overuse injuries like rotator cuff and impingement. The shoulder needs to be stabilised as well as strengthened. For many with experience, I think that number can go to 10% volume increase, based on having done it previously and knowing how to adapt.

    But with a poorly developed technique, or a technique that hasn't previously had hundred of miles of rough water thrown at it, there is no way to significantly increase volume week on week on week during the actual event.

    The reported max 14 k swim of Mr Hooper is so far from what is required for a single English Channel swim, with a 6 hour qualification, (which more and more feel is inadequate) that to consider it representative of training for such a transatlantic stage swim is ludicrous.

    This is another factor that makes me question the seriousness of the intent. If someone did this every day, then I would be less sceptical. But a journalist won't realise this. Telling the right journalist you swam 14 kilometres might lead them to think you are capable of anything.

    Training is actually fundamental to marathon swimming, where swimmers all continuously put in big volume training, week after week after month. And that is often only for a single day big swim.

    KatieBunIronMikecaptainhaddockdavid_barraDanSimonellievmocurlyjellyfishEODrosemarymintMvGMarkSheridan

    loneswimmer.com

  • SidMottSidMott Member
    edited November 2016

    With the recent spate of "record attempts" in the ultra running community that have followed similar MO's with big claims, big sponsors, sob stories, "issues" with trackers etc , I'm sceptical. But I'm out to be proved wrong

    Rob Young RAAM

    https://cdn.letsrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Robert-Young-Skins-Report-Cheat.pdf

    Mark Vaz JOGLE

    http://www.run247.com/articles/article-7176-jogle-record-smashed---or-is-it?-.html

    Simon Buckden

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-37895322

    loneswimmersuziedods
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber

    malinaka said:
    @WarmWater: Be careful with statements like that. Rough estimates are that 85% of forum members just took your last comment as a challenge.

    Now that you mention it @malinaka... :-)

    Though, truthfully, I've wanted to swim across the Atlantic as a (nonstop) relay for a few years now. So, if anyone has a few million dollars laying around and we can find a group of us to take off work for four months let me know. Too bad Ben didn't invite a few more of us on his adventure...

    thelittlemerwookieevmomalinakaDanSimonellisuziedodsgregocKatieBunFlowSwimmers
  • phodgeszohophodgeszoho UKSenior Member

    Just curious but @captainhaddock and @evmo have both posted screen grabs of the GPS track but I couldn't help notice that they are slightly different?

    Ben Track

    DanSimonelli
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited November 2016

    @phodgeszoho said: Just curious but @captainhaddock and @evmo have both posted screen grabs of the GPS track but I couldn't help notice that they are slightly different?

    The map I posted may have a few extra points than the publicly available version on MarineTraffic.com because mine includes Satellite-AIS data.

    rlmDanSimonelliphodgeszoho
  • edited November 2016

    @phodgeszoho , as @evmo said my link doesn't contain any positions received by satellite. I changed my MarineTraffic account from basic to premium just after the beginning of the swim and have to wait for the free trial period to end and start paying for the service before I can add the satellite add-on.

    For those wondering how much the currents might give Ben a boost I found this page with a full set of South Atlantic Pilot Charts to download.

    loneswimmerDanSimonelliphodgeszoho
  • jellyfish said:

    looking forward to a cold beer tonight at anchor miles from civilisation.>

    Anyone guess the depth of water at their current position? That'll be one heck of an anchor chain....

    KatieBunsuziedodsevmogregocSylviacaptainhaddockJSwimMvGRobyn8
  • JSwimJSwim western Maryland, USSenior Member
    edited November 2016

    One type of sea anchor will look familiar to many pool swimmers...

    Since they want the boat to travel at Ben's speed when he's swimming and as little as possible when he's not, you'd think they'd be employing one of these virtually all the time, to the limit that they often need to steer. Perhaps they are. Once again, details and transparency are lacking.

    SidMottSylviacaptainhaddockevmoKatieBun

    Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. --Neale Donald Walsch

  • ZoeSadlerZoeSadler Charter Member

    I'm a bit embarrassed about my comments earlier in the thread.

    However, I never understood why he was a nominee for the 2015 WOWSA Man of the Year awards - I wasn't aware that he had a swim history at that time. http://openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=World_Open_Water_Swimming_Man_of_the_Year

    evmoKatieBuncaptainhaddock
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited November 2016

    Ben's tracker has been only intermittently available via the free/public Terrestrial AIS (interpretation: few other AIS-equipped boats are close enough to reach Big Blue's Class B transponder). There are a few more trackpoints available through Satellite AIS (which I get with my MarineTraffic account), so for those interested, I've put the full data-set on track.rs:

    https://track.rs/hooper

    DanSimonelliKatieBuncaptainhaddockphodgeszoholoneswimmergregocrlm
  • KatieBunKatieBun CornwallSenior Member
    edited November 2016

    ZoeSadler said:
    However, I never understood why he was a nominee for the 2015 WOWSA Man of the Year awards - I wasn't aware that he had a swim history at that time. http://openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=World_Open_Water_Swimming_Man_of_the_Year

    So was the young man nominated for something he intended to do, but hadn't actually started? That's like sitting on the end of your bed, telling everybody how good you're going to be.

    .....and don't be embarrassed about supporting somebody's ambition @ZoeSadler ....... who doesn't want folk to succeed in their endeavours?

    captainhaddockevmoDanSimonellicurlyMvG
  • KatieBunKatieBun CornwallSenior Member
    edited November 2016

    She was wanting to keep this one quiet but unfortunately the cat is out the bag. @zoesadler is planning a round the world Butterfly attempt in 2018.
    Here are details of the support boat and the planned route. Please donate! (She made me do it!!!!)
    Support boat here! http://www.pocruises.com/j801/ Oops, have lost the link to the £1 million crowdfunder page. ;-)

    LionheartZoeSadlerSylviaSidMottrosemarymintMvGsuziedodsDanSimonelli
  • loneswimmerloneswimmer IrelandCharter Member

    @ZoeSadler said

    I never understood why he was a nominee for the 2015 WOWSA Man of the Year awards

    Because you're still expecting rigour or rationality from WOWSA. This year's nominees include two complete frauds, one is each category of male & female. It's remarkable how the same two frauds keep popping up on WOWSA in fact.

    loneswimmer.com

  • Has anyone managed to track down any results from his previous long distance swims, runs or triathlons? I can't

    " During his teen years, Hooper competed in long distance swims for charity and recreationally trained in the pool, running and golf being his other passions. He also did middle distance running and triathlon competitions. "

  • KatieBunKatieBun CornwallSenior Member
    edited November 2016

    @SidMott said:

    Has anyone managed to track down any results from his previous long distance swims, runs or triathlons? I can't

    " During his teen years, Hooper competed in long distance swims for charity and recreationally trained in the pool, running and golf being his other passions. He also did middle distance running and triathlon competitions. "

    Link to a 2004 Triathlon result. http://www.tri247.com/participant_430367.html ...it might not even be him, and it's very hard to find details on t'web of stuff anybody did in childhood, unless they were famous.

  • JSwimJSwim western Maryland, USSenior Member

    Watched a 10 minute interview with Ben on YouTube: "Key West with Jenna", dated July 22, 2015. (He was training in Key West. )

    Some interesting info:

    1. at 2:50, working on increasing pace, so dropping down to 10-15 miles/day swimming
    2. at 4:40, he spoke with Lynne Cox and "had a look at Diana Nyad" when planning his swim
    3. at 6:30, He will take a nearly 5000 mile sailing route so that the "2000 mile swim route is protected"
    4. at 9:05, planning a staged swim from Key West to Miami, swim during the day, drift at night, 3 days and nights (about 200 miles)

    Ben's web page states that he'll take a 3000 (change from 2015's 5000) nautical mile sailing route so that he can swim 2000 miles in the crossing.

    I have not been able to locate anything about him actually swimming from Key West - Miami. A post from July 16, 2015 on Arena's Open Water Swimming blog also says he plans to do that swim and another training swim from Rome to Sardinia.

    A Google search of Ben's extensive blog for the words Miami, Rome or Sardinia shows that if he did those swims, he didn't blog about them. He did write that the Coast Guard prevented him from doing a 20 km circumnavigation of Key West because of lightning and choppy seas.

    And those 3 are the only training swims that his 2015 potential sponsor packet lists. And it appears he didn't do any of them.

    Loads of interesting info in his older blog posts, including links to interviews, news articles and videos...

    evmoKatieBun

    Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. --Neale Donald Walsch

  • edited November 2016

    The local newspaper where Ben's parents live has this article. Gives a bit of background to the delays getting the boat to Dakar and then starting the swim. Before at least four months in the Atlantic I would lilke to have thought the boat was properly serviced and all repairs done - not letting things break and then replacing. In subsequent posts Ben has talked about the having no cooker for two days whilst it was repaired and there appears to be a reference to getting the desalinator working.

    JSwim
  • KatieBun said:
    @SidMott said:

    Has anyone managed to track down any results from his previous long distance swims, runs or triathlons? I can't

    " During his teen years, Hooper competed in long distance swims for charity and recreationally trained in the pool, running and golf being his other passions. He also did middle distance running and triathlon competitions. "

    Link to a 2004 Triathlon result. http://www.tri247.com/participant_430367.html ...it might not even be him, and it's very hard to find details on t'web of stuff anybody did in childhood, unless they were famous.

    If you dig deeper Ben states he died at birth then drowned in a swimming pool at around five years old. He has been in the army, a policeman and a psychologist. He is also an author, although I can't find any published books written by him. The man's a fraud clearly, he's as much chance of swimming the Atlantic as I have flying to the moon. My main concern is that people from a non swimming background are believing him, look at how much media coverage he's getting!

    SylvialoneswimmerKatieBunevmo
  • DanSimonelliDanSimonelli San Diego CASenior Member

    jellyfish said:

    If you dig deeper Ben states he died at birth then drowned in a swimming pool at around five years old. He has been in the army, a policeman and a psychologist. He is also an author, although I can't find any published books written by him. The man's a fraud clearly, he's as much chance of swimming the Atlantic as I have flying to the moon. My main concern is that people from a non swimming background are believing him, look at how much media coverage he's getting!

    Preface:
    I love this community and forum. It provides a voice to and for our sport.
    Ask anyone here who knows me. I'm 100% committed to our sport, both personally and professionally.

    So, I have to call out the drivel here, for it only hurts the credibility and worthiness of our forum.
    Especially if it gets the coverage and is used as a source as it was with Nyad.

    This type of hyperbole, unsubstantiated by any real facts, evidence and sources, is what allowed lay people to call us "haters" for questioning Nyad's claims and be dismissed as credible source for expertise.

    Ben Hooper may be fraudulent.
    He may be a charlatan.
    He may be a liar.

    But the reasons above don't support such a strong and unequivocal claim as "the man's a fraud clearly".
    Your "main concern" is misplaced.

    There may be some questionable things going on with his swim, before (e.g. fundraising claim) and now during.
    But, I think continued questioning is in order throughout and after instead of premature conclusions.

    Anyone who puts Ben along with Nyad in the lineup for fraud, secrecy, narcissism, hate, conniving, spitefulness, lying, contempt, and egregious behavior...etc etc etc, doesn't really know the depth of what they're talking about!

    And, I'm not defending Ben here. I'm defending MSF, this forum, our community and our sport.

    Come here with opinion, thoughts, questions, discussion.
    But come with thoughtful, productive dialogue.
    Questioning invigorates.
    Flaccid claims detract and deter fact finding and truth.

    What's happening with this swim I think has more to do with inexperience and the unknowns of such an expedition.
    'Hoping' conditions are conducive to swimming significant durations daily more often than not.
    Not fully realizing what transparency is and how best to provide it to our sport community watching and endurance sport in general.

    If Ben floats across the Atlantic and reaches Brazil and claims to have swum it how he said he would, and claims a record, I'll be the first to call bull shit and I'll tell him so personally and anyone else.

    But, I don't think this swim is one big orchestrated fraud as some are trying to make it seem.

    gregocthelittlemerwookierosemarymintmalinakaIronMikeloneswimmerevmoJSwimRobyn8VLM
  • rlmrlm Senior Member

    Hey Dan, I have to take you on a little (respectfully). Seems to me Ben's claim to be "swimming across the Atlantic" is so ridiculous it mocks the sport. This pretense of legitimacy is completely absurd. By going forward with his "swim" he wrongly & unfairly attempts to imitate (& take) what others have actually earned. I think the protests you are seeing are necessary and important right now. Whether Ben is simply uninformed or (actually) actively fraudulent does not change the fact that he is (falsely) imitating, pretending and offending. Just my opinion.

    SylvialoneswimmerMvGevmocurly
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