Charles Chapman, Jr.
From Openwaterpedia
(Redirected from Charles Chapman)
The Committee to support Charlie "The Tuna" Chapman in his 1981 English Channel crossing that included Leo Richardson, Joe Gist, Reverend Echols, Willie Mitchell, Charles Chapman Sr., Ed Rutkowski, Charlie The Tuna (8th from left), Ted Kirkland, George K. Arthur, Dave Collins, James Pitts, Alice Saffron, Bridy Mitchell, Minnie Gillette. Not shown Clifford Bell, Dr. Leon Henderson, Cecilia Henderson, Rick James, Jan Peters
Charles Chapman, Jr., nicknamed Tuna, is an African-American pool and open water swimmer from Buffalo, New York who studied at California State University, Sacramento. He was the first black man to swim across the English Channel in 1981 and for numerous all-butterfly open water swims. While on the swim team as a student at Los Angeles City College, he saw a book at a bookstore with Mark Spitz on the cover, contacted him, and told him that he wanted to be like him. Chapman tried out in the USA Olympic Swimming Trials in 1976 at Long Beach, California where he met Mark Spitz but he didn't qualify, and his Olympic dream ended with the 1980 boycott by the USA.
Open Water Swimming Career Highlights
- On 25 August 1981, he completed a crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 12 hours 40 minutes at the age of 26, supported by The Committee, and escorted by pilot Ray Dixon on the Channel Express.
- In 1984, he completed the first butterfly swim around Alcatraz Island to Aquatic Park in San Francisco Bay, California.
- On 26 August 1988, he completed the first butterfly circumnavigation swim in the 45.8 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in New York in 9 hours 25 minutes 8 seconds at the age of 34.
- On 19 August 1989, he completed the 45.8 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in New York in 9 hours 45 minutes 21 seconds at the age of 45.
External links
- Back In Time: In 1977 With The Channel Swimming Association
- "Black Butterfly" article on Black Athlete Sports Network
- Charles “Tuna” Chapman, First African-American to Swim across the English Channel
- The Incredible Histories of Charles And Charlie
- Black Swimming History With Charlie
- Celebrating Charlie The Tuna And The Committee
- BUFFALO'S OWN CHARLIE "THE TUNA" CHAPMAN MARKS 44TH ANNIVERSARY OF HISTORIC ENGLISH CHANNEL SWIM
- BLACK MARATHONER PLANS TO MAKE HISTORY IN MANHATTAN RACE
- Butterfly Can Be Brutal
- Butterfly Swim Rules In The Open Water
- What Is The World's Most Difficult Sports Move?
- Nicknames In The Open Water Swimming World
- What Are Swimmers Known As?
- Interview with Charles Chapman (Part 1)
- Interview with Charles Chapman (Part 2)
- Interview with Charles Chapman (Part 4)
- Interview with Charles Chapman (Part 4)
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Open Water Swimming
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- Marathon Swimming
- Brutal ... Butterfly In The Open Water
- Marathon Swimmers Federation bio
- Lady P Passes After A Life Of Giving
- Celebrating Charlie The Tuna And The Committee
- From Charles Chapman, Jr. To Ed Accura
