Conn. CU vice chairman realizes his English Channel dream.Love helped American Eagle Federal Credit Union Board Vice Chairman Raymond Gandy enter the record books by successfully swimming the English Channel English Channel, Fr. La Manche [the sleeve], arm of the Atlantic Ocean, c.350 (560 km) long, between France and Great Britain. It is 112 mi (180 km) wide at its west entrance, between Land's End, England, and Ushant, France. Its greatest width, c. . Though competitive, Gandy started this challenge to raise awareness and funds for the Leukemia leukemia (l  kē`mēə), cancerous disorder of the blood-forming tissues (bone marrow, lymphatics, liver, spleen) characterized by excessive production of immature or mature and Lymphoma Society. In 1992, at age 27, his
wife, Donna, was diagnosed with Leukemia. With a two-year-old daughter
at home, Donna chose to have a bone marrow transplant bone marrow transplant: see bone marrow. and has enjoyed
seeing her daughter grow up.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "It is a terrific story and is something that has deeply touched us all. Our daughter has been inspired to go into medicine, and so, for me crossing the channel was just another way to give back and raise awareness." Gandy said he's always loved swimming and used to swim competitively in high school and college. "I took an 18-year break to start a family, work, and I was naive to think my swimming days were over," said Gandy, who always remained active playing a variety of other sports. "We moved by a lake and a friend got me goggles goggles, n the protective eyewear worn by dental personnel and patients during dental procedures. goggles see periocular leukotrichia. and that is how I started swimming again." The vice chairman, whose credit union is based in East Harford, Conn., said his competitive nature drove him to find more challenges, and after completing long-distance swims across Lake Champlain, Long Island Sound, Tampa Bay Tampa Bay, inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, 25 mi (40 km) long and 7 to 12 mi (11.3–19 km) wide, W Fla., separated from the Gulf by numerous small islands; it receives the Hillsborough River. St. and Lake George Lake George, village (1990 est. pop. 1,100), seat of Warren co., E N.Y.; inc. 1903. Situated on the southern tip of Lake George in the foothills of the Adirondack Mts. , it became his dream to swim the English Channel. "Swimming the English Channel is like the Mecca of swimming where you are challenged physically and mentally," said Gandy. "When you see how supportive the credit union and the community have been, honestly, the journey itself has become the reward." Gandy swam 21 miles from Dover England to Cap Griz Nez, France, in 13 hours and 34 minutes. The 48-year old endured a grueling physical and mental test against fatigue, hunger, jellyfish jellyfish, common name for the free-swimming stage (see polyp and medusa), of certain invertebrate animals of the phylum Cnidaria (the coelenterates). The body of a jellyfish is shaped like a bell or umbrella, with a clear, jellylike material filling most of the , tides, ship traffic and water temperatures of 64 degrees. His swim raised $5,585 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. and Gandy is already contemplating his next challenge--this time a roundtrip swim across the channel. --mdigiovanni@cutimes.com |
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