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Ross Edgley achieved a feat few Britons could ever attempt. The 33-year-old model and personal trainer became the first person to swim around mainland Great Britain. The incredible journey took 157 brutal days. In total, Edgley swam 2,883 kilometres (1,791 miles), a distance slightly further than travelling from London to Istanbul. Sports fans can follow their favourite sport with the Genting promo and never miss the action.

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It wasn’t just the distance and freezing cold waters that made Edgley’s journey difficult. The adventurer was stung by 37 jellyfish and suffered a rotting tongue. He sustained other injuries including a possible torn shoulder. Edgley started his swim on June 1st and when he finished it on November 4th, a number of world records had been set.

Edgley isn’t the first or only person to accomplish an extraordinary swimming feat. Although these may not stack up to the Englishman in terms of distance, and jellyfish stings, they are truly amazing accomplishments.

Benoit Lecomte – First to swim across the Atlantic Ocean

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Benoit Lecomte became the first person to swim across the Atlantic Ocean without a kickboard in 1998. The Frenchman survived frigid Atlantic waters as he travelled from Hyannis, Massachusetts to Brittany, France. It took Lecomte 73 days to finish the swim as he covered over 3,200 miles. Swim fans can get more information on great deals at Codere and find the best odds available. Not only was fatigue and cold temperatures a safety worry, but sharks were too. Lecomte’s support boat emitted an electromagnetic wave to prevent shark attacks. Lecomte is now attempting to swim across the Pacific Ocean.

Trent Grimsey – Fastest swim across the English Channel

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In 1875, Matthew Webb swam the English Channel under 22 hours. Since his remarkable feat, more than 1,800 swimmers have attempted to achieve the fastest time. Australian Trent Grimsey, a long-distance swimmer, set the record for the fastest time in 2012 at a remarkable six hours and 55 minutes. Grimsey averaged more than three miles per hour and it allowed him to beat the previous record held by Petar Stoychev by two minutes.

Lynne Cox – From the U.S. to the U.S.S.R.

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Lynne Cox swam from the United States to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1987 during the Cold War. The swim only covered 2.7 miles as Cox swam from U.S. island Little Diomede to the U.S.S.R.’s Big Diomede Island.

Regardless of the short distance, her peace gesture was at a time of espionage, high tensions, and frayed relations between the two nations. Her swim was monitored by warships and bombers from both sides. It that time, her feat was even seen as a rebellious act by a few people, as some Manchester fans did when creating a new club.

Martin Strel - First person to swim the Amazon River

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The Amazon River is the longest river in the world at 3,272 miles. It is also home to snakes and flesh-eating piranhas. Slovenian long-distance and adventure swimmer Martin Strel wasn’t put off by the animals or confused people who watched him travel from the Peruvian Andes to the Atlantic Ocean. Strel completed his Amazon River swim in a mere 66 days. Strel's April 2007 feat isn’t his only amazing swimming accomplishment. The Slovenian has also swum the lengths of the Danube, Mississippi, and Yangtze Rivers.