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28th January 2021
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Record-breaking swimmer to brave the unknown on Catalina challenge
A trip to California usually conjures up images of sun-kissed beaches, but not for one Peterborough-based Indesit employee.
The company's National Account Manager Adam Walker won't be kicking back on the sand when he heads to the Sunshine Coast, as he will be attempting to conquer one of the world's toughest swims, The Catalina Channel.
The 33-year-old is aiming to be the first British swimmer to complete the Ocean 7 Challenge and has already swum the English Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar (breaking the British record for one of the two crossings), and Hawaii's treacherous Molokai Straits, leaving him with four to go.
Adam, who trains at Peterborough Regional Fitness and Swimming Centre, will be swimming the 21-mile Catalina Channel on October 6th, just 10 weeks after he completed his toughest challenge yet, the Molokai Straits.
He became the first British person to swim the Molokai Straits and had to share the hazardous waters with deadly jellyfish and predatory Tiger sharks. Adam still has huge scars across his stomach from when he was stung by a Portuguese Man o'war.
White Goods Manufacturer Indesit will again be sponsoring Adam who is raising money for the charity SportsAid. He raised more than £1,000 swimming the Molokai Straits and he hopes to top this total in October.
"It's going to be very tough," admits Adam. "The waves are really strong in the daytime so I will have to start the swim in the middle of the night.
"It will be very dark and I won't be able to see much around me. I'm expecting there to be sharks and jellyfish again."
Adam expects the swim to take 12 hours but it could take longer if the current is strong and he drifts off course. Ocean 7 Challenge rules also forbid the wearing of wetsuits so Adam will only be allowed to wear shorts and a hat.
He added: "The currents can get quite rough so disorientation and seasickness will also be a problem. The water temperature can also drop to 15 degrees C which is about the same as the English Channel."
The remaining three swims in the Ocean 7 Challenge will be the Cook Strait in New Zealand, the Tsugaru Strait in Japan and the Irish Channel between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
To sponsor Adam visit www.justgiving.com
Caption: Adam Walker pictured after completing the Molokai Straits swim
To find out more on the Catalina Channel swim visit http://swimcatalina.com/
14th September 2012