Dangerous, Polluted Waters in Texas Force Distance Swimmer to Relocate to Public Pool.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Training for 35-Mile Yucatan Channel Swim on Aug. 5 Continues ... with Limitations

Paul Ellis of Austin, the 61-year-old grandfather preparing to swim Mexico's Yucatan Channel on August 5, has been forced to relocate to "a confined and claustrophobic" 50-meter public pool to continue his daily six to seven-hour training regimen.

"It's ironic that my quest to draw public attention to the perils facing the coral reefs and the critical need to protect our ocean resources has been interrupted by torrential rains in Texas," noted Ellis, a former U.S. Marine Corps pilot and Chairman of Austin Business College. "Barton Springs, area lakes and rivers are filled with treacherous currents, dangerous debris and polluted water." (Ellis photo at http://www.swim4thereef.com/images/common/paulEllis.jpg)

More than 14 inches of rain pummeled the Austin area in June, the second heaviest rainfall in about 65-years of official recordkeeping, according to the National Weather Service. Much of the Lone Star State has endured the same soggy conditions, with flooding and run-off even resulting in the closing of popular beaches along the Gulf coast due to high bacterial counts.

Ellis, who has been training for "the swim of my life" for more than four years, has logged more than 5,000 miles in both freshwater and saltwater. Now he's limited to Austin's Northwest Park pool for 2 1/2 hours a day, after which the pool is re-oriented to its width, 25 yards. He then goes again, maneuvering around the kids and other swimmers.

"Unfortunately, the only pure water left around her is in containment areas called public swimming pools," he quipped. "It is mind-numbingly hard to do and difficult to draw a positive focus for a distance swim. I go crazy with the walls in front of me. This is a real test!"

The public Barton Springs Pool, a normally clear, beautiful and inviting oasis near the heart of the Central Texas city, was a raging torrent of murky currents Wednesday, with water almost as high as the cliffside lifeguard chairs. It is not expected to reopen for another eight days.

News reports of his effort to swim from San Miguel, Isla de Cozumel to Cancun on mainland Mexico circulated worldwide on June 24. An Associated Press story (http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/8993441.htm) was carried coast-to-coast in U.S. dailies and has appeared in newspapers and at web sites in Australia, Denmark, England, The Netherlands, Russia and other countries.

"I considered returning to the shores of North Carolina or going on to Cozumel www.islacozumel.com.mx/. Both will be warmer than the Springs' 68-degree temperature," he laughed. "But I'm in the crucial phase of my mental and physical conditioning for what may require 15-hours or more of endurance, and my support team is here."

The environmentalist, sports enthusiast and longtime civic activist will ease into the Caribbean Sea at 2 a.m. on Aug. 5, 2004. He will brave 35 miles of open waters from Cozumel Island to mainland Cancun, 14 miles longer than a crossing of the English Channel. Ellis will be as much as 15 miles offshore in water that is 4,000 feet deep.

He will be accompanied by three vessels, one a patrol boat from the nearby National Marine Park of Cozumel, which protects the Meso-American reef, among the largest living organisms on earth and northernmost barrier reef in the world. Still, the dangerous enterprise includes sharks, jellyfish, currents, winds, and even passing cruise ships and their dangerous wakes.

"I am not a daredevil. I'm an educator," he repeatedly declares, although the 5-foot-10, 195-pound, graying athlete has ridden a motorcycle cross country and dodged enemy gunfire as helicopter medi-vac pilot during the Vietnam War.

"The steps we take now may not have an impact for decades. The steps untaken, however, may well doom a major portion of our planet and an untold number of species." His comments reflect much of the language of concern embodied in the President's U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, released in April.

Ellis has dedicated himself to "Inspiring millions of world citizens still uncommitted to get in the water! Get informed. Take Action. Tell others." His primary objective is to get "one million persons to join an organization dedicated to our common goals and to work in their communities and their civic and political circles on behalf of clean water issues." www.swim4thereef.com is a not-for-profit 501(c)3.

"Every living system on earth is in decline, and that rate of decline is accelerating. We are losing our forests, fisheries, coral reefs, topsoil, water, biodiversity and climate stability. Our land, sea and air are being transformed from life-supporting systems into repositories for waste," Ellis emphasizes. "The reefs form an amazing ecosystem, the source and resource for all living organisms. We've lost more than 25% of the world's coral reefs. At the present rate of destruction, 60%... will be destroyed by 2034."

Week-long International Reef Party

Robert Cudney, Director of the National Marine Park of Cozumel will speak at the "Celebrate Cozumel International Reef Party," a week-long (Aug. 1-9) event to celebrate the environmental success and the stunning marine life of the park. The park is a clear example of how business and environmentalists can work together for a common cause.

Special dive, air and hotel packages are available through FunJet Vacations www.funjet.com and El Cid La Ceiba Hotel www.elcid.com, headquarters for the Swim4theReef video documentary team ([e-mail]).

"I want my children and grandchildren to know, it's never too late to make an impact," Ellis said.

For more details, map of swim route, digital images of Ellis, project updates and sponsor information or ways you can get involved, go to www.swim4thereef.com.

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