Posted on August 6, 2012 by Claire Jenkins
leconte
Attempting to set the Guinness World Record for the longest swim, Ben Lecomte , ’95 will begin his journey across the Pacific Ocean this fall. Through the swim, Lecomte will raise awareness and money for cancer.
Lecomte is dedicating his efforts to his father who died of cancer in 1991 at the age of 49. He credits his dad for teaching him to swim as a young boy in France.
“Life is a big adventure and not only do I hope to be an inspiration for others, but I also draw inspiration by seeing the struggles others are able to overcome,” said Lecomte, a UTSA marketing alumnus.
Embarking on an endurance challenge of this kind is not new to this Roadrunner. In September 1998 he completed a swim across the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Cod to the French Shore of Quiberon. The journey spanned 3,700 miles. He was the first to accomplish such a feat without the aid of a flotation device or kickboard.
When asked about the relation between his battle in the ocean and those with cancer, Ben notes, “My battle was very different from the one faced by cancer patients, it was my decision and I could give up at any time. But during my swim, I better understood their suffering and the feeling of not knowing the outcome.”
Lecomte’s Pacific swim will begin in Tokyo, Japan and be completed in San Francisco, Calif.– a 5,500-mile trek that should take five to six months depending on ocean conditions. His current training consists of swimming 3-5 hours per day, six days per week. During his Pacific swim, his body will require a consumption of 8,000 calories per day.
Once Lecomte begins his swim, supporters can track his progress via his Web site, www.thelongestswim.com , with the help of GPS tracking and live video cameras.
Wendy Frost—
Please send your comments to: wendy.frost@utsa.edu
— Claire Jenkins
