Melbourne teenager Dan Canta is preparing to take on the English Channel in an attempt to raise money for brain cancer research.
If successful, the 16-year-old will become the youngest Australian male to cross the channel.
Canta said he is doing his best to stay focused and calm in the lead-up to his record attempt, which is slated for August.
“If you overthink the channel, it’s not going to help at all because there’s so many things you can think about, and so many things that can go wrong,” Canta said.
“If you think about them all you’ll just be overwhelmed.”
So far, Canta’s record attempt has raised almost $3000 for the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation, a charity that has contributed more than $500,000 to improving brain cancer research since its inception in 2013.
“If I’m able to raise some awareness and some money for the cause, I thought, ‘Why not?!’”
RCD Foundation Executive Director Liz Dawes said she is confident Canta is ready to take on the channel.
“What he’s doing is very hard, but he seems to have the right attitude,” she said.
Thrilled to announce Dan Canta will be attempting to cross #TheEnglishChannel in #ConnorsRun bathers!… https://t.co/anr03IRbzi
— RCD Fund (@RCDFund) July 29, 2015
“I respect him, I admire him and I’m pleased that he’s been so committed to helping us while he’s trying to train and do all of that as well.”
Training for an English Channel crossing is no small feat. At the peak of his preparation, Canta was dedicating 45 hours a week to swimming.
He has also been forced to eat up a storm, putting on 17kg to be ready for his record attempt.
“It’s one of the best and worst parts of it, because you get to eat whatever you want but you feel very sluggish, and the only place you feel good is in the water,” Canta said of the weight gain.
Once he gets in the water at the starting point in Dover, there’s no guarantee Canta will make it to Calais.
Ky Hurst, Olympic open water swimmer and Ironman, says the English Channel is “its own beast”, and Canta needs to be ready to face all kinds of weather conditions.
“I think the biggest issue will be dealing with the cold and the weather,” Hurst said.
As well as the risk of hypothermia, channel swimmers have to compete with unpredictable tides, jellyfish and rubbish.
For Canta, the best way to tackle the challenge is to dive in and trust his preparation.
“I’ve done all the training, I’ve just got to take a leap of faith into the channel,” he said.
To help with Dan’s fundraising efforts, click here.
What an awesome photo!