He Swam Across the Atlantic. Now He’s Taking On the Pacific.

Hear how this world-record holder will attempt the feat of free swimming the Pacific, from Tokyo to San Francisco.

By Emily DonahueOctober 15, 2015 2:06 pm

Today, a world-record Texas swimmer will announce plans to take on a feat few have tried and none have accomplished. If he succeeds, French-born Ben Lecompte of Round Rock would become the first human to swim all the way across the Pacific Ocean without a kick board. It’s a feat he’s dubbed The Longest Swim.

He’ll bring along advice from nutritionist Molly Bray, UT-Austin Department of Nutritional Sciences chair, to help him stay healthy on the trip.

What you’ll hear in this segment:

-How he’ll do it and how long it make take (hint: it’s longer than summer break).

-What he’ll do to combat the monotony of swimming eight or more hours a day.

-Why he’s using swimming to call attention to how we abuse our oceans.

-What’s he afraid of and how he copes with those fears.

-What he’ll eat and how UT nutrition science students are helping Lecomte accomplish this feat.