Ben was born in London, United Kingdom, and as a child moved within the UK and EU with his family and the British Army. As an adult Ben has served with the military, police and worked within mental health and Psychology. In his spare time, he writes fiction and is a 2* AIDA freediver and Open Water PADI scuba diver. His love of open water and swimming, is second only to being a father.
Ben started swimming when he was just five-years old. During his teen years he competed in long distance swims for charity and recreationally trained in the pool, running and golf being his other passions. Yet as adulthood dawned, he moved to training for distance swimming, middle distance running and eventually, a period of triathlon competition. Later, whilst living in Fuerteventura, he turned his focus to spending more time in the swimming pool and sea for freediving, scuba and long distance swimming.
TRAINING
Training Sessions are structured and intense. Training with my swim coach Nicki Gwynn-Jones, and her other students, ensures that my technique is developed and worked on with pinpoint accuracy and developmental feedback. The mileage in the first five-months of training ranges from 4-7 miles of swimming per day along with cardiovascular and core workouts. This is pure endurance, technique and discipline building without which, my Atlantic Ocean swim would remain just a dream.
2014 will see us move out into open water, in competition too, where distances and technique will be further enhanced up to a total target mileage of 2.8 million meters of swimming in this year alone (approx. 115,000 lengths of a 25m swimming pool).
To join our training sessions and raise money for our expedition and charities, please use the contact form and tell us your location. We will come and meet you, you can learn more of this exciting expedition and even be part of the Atlantic Ocean swim preparation: be part of Swim The Big Blue.
"Good luck with your absolutely monumental challenge!!" - Michaela Strachan, 2013
(BBC TV Wildlife Presenter for Autumnwatch, Springwatch, Really Wild Adventures and currently appearing on ITV's reality Dive show 'Splash.'
Micahela is also the Patron of The UK Shark Trust)
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