Pond

On September 9, 2000, at the age of 25, Bill swam the 34km (22 mile) wide English Channel. His swim was the culmination of more than 2 years of training including a 5 month sabbatical of which he spent 3 ½ months training in Dover England. Acclimation to cold 13C (53F) water was the biggest challenge of this endeavor as wetsuits are not allowed; only standard a speedo, a standard swim cap and goggles are allowed. His first attempt on August 27, 2000 was aborted after 10 hours and 15 minutes of continuous swimming due to hypothermia and exhaustion brought on by the gale force winds and 3 ½ meter waves. Pursuant to his successful crossing 12 days later and his subsequent speaking engagements, Bill raised over $100,000 for the Canadian Mental Health Association.