50-50 Swim Challenge
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Ray Gandy of Coventry, Rhode Island, U.S.A. and Elaine Howley are renowned world record setting open water swimmers. Their most recent swim was the unprecedented 50-mile swim in Narragansett Bay in Massachusetts, U.S.A. on July 9-10, 2011.
Ray Gandy
Gandy became the first and only Rhode Islander to successfully swim the English Channel (21 miles) in 2009.
In 2010, he was recognized by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame for his world record-setting single & double circumnavigation of Conanicut Island (Jamestown), Rhode Islanda by swimming 41.2 miles in 20 hours and 17 minutes.
Ray has also swum across Tampa Bay, Florida; Lake George, New York; Lake Memphremagog, Canada; Long Island Sound, New York and various other events and distances.
Elaine Howley
Elaine Kornbau Howley was the 32nd person in history to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming by swimming around Manhattan Island in New York (28.5 miles), Catalina Island to the California mainland (21 miles) and the English Channel (21 miles).
She was also recognized by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as the co-world record-holder for the fastest Boston Light Double, a 16-mile out-and-back swim across the Boston Harbor (between L-Street and Little Brewster Island). She became the second female to ever complete the course. Completed on August 12, 2010 in 7:07:48, her swim broke the 41-year-old record by 2 hours, 23 minutes.
Elaine has also completed swims of varying distances and difficulties including a 41K in Lake George, New York; a 10-miler in Lake Memphremagog, Vermont; a 12.5-miler in Key West, Florida; and a 2.4-miler in 48 degree water in York, Maine.
Goal
"We have a goal of raising US$5000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. My wife Donna was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia in 1992. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society plays an active role in research, advocacy and information sharing regarding treatments and cures. I have personally chosen this organization to benefit from a portion of the proceeds from this swim that will start on July 9th." They ultimately raised over US$10,000.
They expect to swim 25–30 hours in the 50-50 unprecedented 50-mile swim but the conditions and currents were rough. Gandy lasted 27 hours 42 minutes in swimming 45.6 miles before being pulled out for safety reasons. Howley last 25 miles in less-than-ideal conditions.
Websites
References
Live Online Broadcasting
Live online event tracking will be available throughout the swim - fans can access live and recorded video streams from the event here. Crew on Ray's boat will broadcast live on the top of each hour for 10 minutes and Elaine's crew to broadcast at the bottom of each hour for 10 minutes.
