September 08, 2016
A 25-year-old native of Cherry Hill accomplished one of her major life goals late last month when she successfully swam from England to France across the English Channel, joining an exclusive club in human history.
Katie Scott awoke bright and early on the morning of Aug. 30 to swim the storied expanse at a beach in Dover, England, according to The Daily Journal. The water temperature was a chilly 60 degrees.
A week earlier, the captain of her boat told her, a man was pulled out after the three-hour mark due to hypothermia. Good luck!
The 21-mile path across the English Channel isn't direct. To flow with the tide-course, swimmers have to follow a curve in the shape of an "S." To make it to the other side, Scott had to swim a total of 34 miles.
Katie Scott's route across the English Channel.
About half way through the journey, she got stung on the cheek by a jellyfish. The pain, she told The Daily Journal, lasted a good six hours.
Approximately 3,500 attempts have been made to swim across the English Channel. Of them, about 1,620 swimmers have completed about 2,125 successful solo swims. On average, the solo crossing time is 13 hours, 30 minutes and 29 seconds. Among all swimmers, approximately 63.5 percent have been men and 36.5 percent have been female.
Looking ahead, Scott now hopes to complete what's considered the Triple Crown of open water swims: 21 miles across California's Catalina Channel and 28.5 miles around Manhattan.
Approximately 3,500 attempts have been made to swim across the English Channel, according to Dover.UK.com. Of them, about 1,620 swimmers have completed about 2,125 successful solo swims. On average, the solo crossing time is 13 hours, 30 minutes and 29 seconds. Among all swimmers, approximately 63.5 percent have been men and 36.5 percent have been female.
Looking ahead, Scott now hopes to complete what's considered the Triple Crown of open water swims: 21 miles across California's Catalina Channel and 28.5 miles around Manhattan.
