Boston Swimmer to Tackle 21-mile English Channel

WALTHAM, Massachusetts, July 24. ELAINE Kornbau Howley, 31, of Waltham, Mass., is gearing up for one heck of a long swim. Howley will attempt a solo crossing of the Strait of Dover, a 21-mile stretch of the English Channel between Dover, United Kingdom, and Cap Gris Nez, France, sometime between August 1st and 8th, 2009, and is attempting to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America in memory of her sister.

For Howley, a successful attempt at crossing the Channel will be her third— and final— notch in the Triple Crown of open-water marathon swimming, putting her on an elite list of fewer than 30 swimmers who have completed this feat. The Triple Crown comprises three of the world's toughest bodies of water to swim: Swimming across the English and Catalina Channels, and completing a solo circumnavigation of Manhattan Island as part of the annual Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (MIMS) (www.nycswnim.org). In September 2008, Howley earned her first crown after completing her first-ever solo crossing, the Catalina Channel, a 21-mile stretch of the Pacific Ocean between Catalina Island and the mainland of southern California, in 10:57:44. Last month, Howley grabbed reign number two after placing 8th in the MIMS, a 28.5-mile race around Manhattan island; she completed this swim in 8:39:50.

"Catalina was the best possible introduction I could have had to the world of Channel swimming. I had an awesome swim and felt really good the whole way," Howley says. "MIMS was tougher than I expected, but another great experience for building confidence and preparing for the ultimate challenge. I feel ready to take on the third installment of this adventure in a few weeks' time!"

More people have climbed Mount Everest and been in outer space than have managed to successfully swim the English Channel since the first crossing in 1875, by Captain Matthew Webb. Webb, who later died attempting to swim through the Whirlpool Rapids below Niagara Falls, completed his unassisted crossing of the Strait of Dover, from England to France, in 21 hours and 45 minutes.

In the English Channel, the biggest threat from marine life usually comes in the form of stinging jellyfish— minor compared to the Catalina Channel's wider range of sea creatures Howley faced last year, including sharks, dolphins, whales, and the ubiquitous jellyfish. But, the biggest threat to a successful crossing of the English Channel will be the unexpected changes in weather, rough waters, and, at times, hurricane force winds. Some swimmers have even endured seasickness during attempts.

"The English Channel is often referred to as the ‘Mount Everest of Open Water Swimming' and this will definitely be one of the toughest things I've ever done," Howley says. "There are so many things that could go wrong, and so few things over which I have control, that I've just got to focus on those things that I do have power over— my feedings, my mental state, and my pace— and then hope that the weather and conditions cooperate."

In addition to Mother Nature's forces, Howley says that handling the cold water for hours on end and safely traversing the busy traffic lanes also pose a risk to a successful crossing. Hypothermia has terminated many swims in the past, but Howley says that she has spent a significant amount of her training time swimming in very cold water, even taking the plunge on New Year's Day with the L-Street Brownies in South Boston to build up a tolerance to icy water. "After spending a few minutes in 37-degree water, training in 55-degree water doesn't seem so bad," she says. "Once you get past the initial gasping for air and start moving, your body temperature stabilizes and it can actually be quite pleasant."

Howley, who is also the assistant swimming coach for the Wellesley High School girls swim team grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia in southern New Jersey and moved to Massachusetts in 2001 after a stint in the U.S. Peace Corps. She has lived in Waltham for the past five years. She began swimming competitively at age five, was captain of the swim team at Haddonfield Memorial High School in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and swam on the varsity team at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She began open water marathoning in 2006 with a 2nd place finish in the 8-mile Boston Light Swim. In 2007, Howley placed 4th in the 41K Lake George Swim Marathon.

The swim will be observed by an official from the Channel Swimming Association (CSA) (http://www.channelswimmingassociation.com/) and Howley's guide boat, Samallen, will be piloted by Fred Mardle, a charter pilot who has guided a long list of successful, solo channel crossings. During the swim, Howley will be supported by her husband, Mark Howley and friend, Khrista Trerotola of Boston, Massachusetts. The support team will ride in the guide boat and offer food and drinks to her during the course of the swim; however, for the swim to be official, Howely may not touch the boat or any other person until after she has fully cleared the water on the French side of the channel. Water bottles and food will be handed to her via a bucket attached to a long stick, and she must feed while treading water. If her crossing is successful, Howley will add her name to the record books of one of the toughest swims in the world. For more information about Howley and her swim, please visit http://blog.talesofthebeerbaby.com

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