21 Sep Limbless man swims across English Channel
If happiness comes from being inspired by others then…
Newsflash from SMH online
A French father-of-two declared himself ”the happiest man alive” after swimming across the English Channel 16 years after losing all his limbs in an electrical accident. Philippe Croizon, a 42-year-old former metalworker, said his aim was to inspire all those ”who think life is nothing but suffering”. He set off from Folkestone in southern England just before 8am on Saturday, and completed the crossing just before 9.30pm, propelled by his specially designed flipper-shaped prosthetic legs. Steadying himself with the stumps of his arms, Croizon kept up a constant speed in good weather, and was accompanied by dolphins for part of the 33-kilometre swim, his support team said. ”For a while, I didn’t realise what I’d done. It was only that night, when I went to bed, that suddenly I burst out laughing, and told myself, ‘You did it.”’ He said his next long-distance challenge would be to swim between Europe and Africa.