Philippe Croizon, Quadruple Amputee, To Brave Shark-Infested Crossings Between Five Continents
Quadruple amputee Phillipe Croizon has announced that he'll brave some of the world's most treacherous waters next year as he swims between five continents.
Croizon, who made a splash with his English Channel swim in 2010, is going to dive into open seas again, Agence France Presse reported.
A custom pair of flippers enables the limbless Croizon to swim.
With Arnaud Chassery, a former long-distance swimming champion, Croizon will start an aquatic tour in May 2012 in the Pacific Ocean with a 12-mile crossing between coastal towns in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia in an area known to be a shark and poisonous jellyfish habitat.
In June, the duo will swim in the Sea of Agaba between Jordan and Egypt. Their next dip will be in the congested shipping lanes of the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Africa from Europe.
The project wraps up with the pair navigating the frigid waters of the Bering Strait that divides Russia and Alaska.
"My crossing of the [English] Channel was a message of hope and of life to all my fellow companions in misfortune," Croizon told Agence France Presse. "With this new challenge, we intend to accomplish an act of peace, of solidarity, of sharing with all able-bodied and handicapped men, of all skin colors, cultures and backgrounds combined."
Croizon lost his arms and legs in 1994 after he was electrocuted while adjusting a television antennae on the roof, The New York Daily News reported.
Croizon chronicles his journeys on his personal webpage. His physical accomplishments have been recognized by Ehandicap World Records.
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First Posted: 05/24/11 12:51 PM ET Updated: 11/16/11 06:01 AM ET