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To order reprints of any article in its original format, visit Scoopreprintsource.com Community nowFor the record books ASSOCIATIONS NOW, June 2008 By: Samantha Whitehorne
Most people donate to their professional society’s foundation to raise money for research or new educational offerings. But not Stanley Paris. He’s taken his fundraising for the Foundation for Physical Therapy’s campaign to another level. Next month, and perhaps again in September, he’ll attempt to enter the Guinness World Records as the oldest person—at age 70—to swim across the English Channel. As part of his swim, Paris—who is covering all the costs of his swim—has asked the public to pledge per mile or to donate a set amount to physical therapy research. It’s also worth noting that Paris is not a newcomer to swimming across the Channel. He completed two successful swims in the 1980s—and is already the third-oldest person to swim across at 46. Associations Now had the chance to speak to Paris about 12 weeks out to find out what he thinks it takes to swim 23 miles. Of all the endurance and physical challenges you could have chosen, why did you choose to swim the English Channel to raise money for physical therapy? I think it’s the purest of all the sporting events that are around today. The same rules in 1875 are in place today—you can’t touch the boat, you can’t wear a wetsuit. The same can’t be said for other challenges. … Swimming the Channel really is a pure event that is not for spectators. Can you talk a bit about what a typical day of training is like? At 70 years of age, in the beginning, I was swimming every other day. On the off days, I would do an hour or two of gym work. I would swim the three to four other days about four hours at a time—eight hours at the most. But now that it’s getting closer, I’m in the gym five days a week—and the pool five or six days a week. Besides physical training, what other mental and endurance training have you been doing? That’s really the key to it. It’s more mental than physical—and you can drive yourself well beyond your physical limits if you stay in control of emotions and remain very calm. I am trying to readjust my body’s Circadian rhythm. My wife and I have a house in Maine, so I will drive up there from Florida without sleeping and stay awake for about 36 hours straight. You start your swim across the Channel at high tide, so there is a good chance I will be swimming during nighttime. I need to prepare my body for this. As for mental training, I will tell my family and colleagues I am going to do a six-hour swim, but mentally—to myself—I know I am going to swim for about eight hours. What are you most concerned about when it comes to the swim? My biggest worry is the temperature. The water will be anywhere from 56 to 64 degrees. This is what stops most swimmers. You can’t help but to start shivering—it’s important to keep you body temperature above the hypothermia level of 95 degrees. Another worry is jellyfish. During one of my other Channel swims, one struck me across the face and I swallowed part of a tentacle, which left my uvula paralyzed, making it extremely difficult to breathe. I finished the swim—even though it was later denied on a technicality—and had to be hospitalized. What keeps you swimming for eight hours? That’s the most difficult thing—it can drive you completely bananas. I have a very good mp3 player that straps onto my goggles. There are no headphones. Instead, a metal pod is placed over each cheekbone and the music is conducted through the bone to the ear. What music do you listen to? Chariots of Fire, some Billy Joel, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, and Fats Domino. Can you eat while you swim across? Starting after two hours, I will be given a skimmer with 4 or 5 containers of food every hour. One has water, one will have water and electrolytes, another is mostly carbs and fats, and one is applesauce and mashed-up bananas. It shouldn’t take me more than half a minute to feed. If you complete the swim in July, will you swim again in September? I’ll probably try a double. I wish I had in 1986. My attitude is that I have to be defeated, have to reach the end point—and I’ve never done that yet. What’s the first thing you’re going to do once you’re done with the swim? Try to walk out on my feet, instead of crawling out like most. And then I’ll thank everybody. To read more about Stanley’s preparations, visit his blog at stanleyparis.blogspot.com or www.apta.org/parisswim—and look for a post-swim interview in an upcoming issue. —Contributed by Samantha Whitehorne, managing editor. Email: swhitehorne@asaecenter.org
More Articles From Associations Now, June 2008
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