Man Will Swim 24 Hours for Chaplain
Contact: Milt Gerber, New Bridge Community Chaplaincy, 260-490-9608
MEDIA ADVISORY, Nov. 23 /Standard Newswire/ -- After William Dyke Justin completed his non-stop endurance swim of 30 miles in 2004 as a fundraiser for the STARS youth performance program in Sault Sainte Marie Michigan, he told his wife Lisa that she should never let him do something like that again. But now, with the goal of raising $15,000 for New Bridge Community Chaplaincy, Inc. of Sault Ste Marie Michigan, Justin is both willing and determined to break his own record.
Photo: William Dyke Justin
"I believe in the work that the chaplaincy is doing," Justin said, "and I think everyone has something that they can do well. This is a way that I can help our community."
Justin, a 56-year-old local attorney, found his aquatic passion as a child, when he started swimming as part of his therapy to recover from polio. He hasn't stopped since. In 1987, Justin swam 13.5 miles across Green Bay, and in 1998, he tackled a 26.2-mile marathon. But despite the fact that he's accomplished long-distance swims before, Justin says that this event, in which he plans to beat his current record by 1.78 miles, will be one of his most difficult.
Justin will begin his 31.78-mile swim at 1 p.m. on December 18, 2009, at the Norris Center at Lake Superior State University. He will attempt to swim non-stop for 24 hours, completing 51,150 meters, or 2,046 lengths on Saturday the 19th at 1 p.m. He is training for this physically taxing event much as he trained in 2004, swimming with weights for many hours at a time.
The International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame will accept his completed attempt as a world record and the Guinness Book of World Records has also been contacted.
New Bridge Community Chaplaincy, Inc. is a non-profit, 501c3 organization that helps families and individuals cope with the struggles of life. Learn more about New Bridge, help Justin reach his goal, and track his training blog by visiting www.mychap.net.