One of the most challenging athletic feats in human history is to swim the English Channel.

It’s 34 kilometres of open sea between England and France, which also happens to be the busiest sea lane in the world, with water temperatures hovering between 14 to 18 degrees Celsius in summer.

For your swim to be officially recognised, wet suits or any thermal protection are not allowed. It’s just you against the ocean.

Tides will also sweep you kilometres off course, you’ll almost certainly be stung by jellyfish, and even while swimming, the churning waves can make you seasick.

So why does anyone do it? Who was the first? And just how dangerous is it? Mick and Titus look at the history of swimming the English Channel.

Titus has a live show in Melbourne on 7 June. You can get tickets here.

If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus.

Click here to join today

As a member, you’ll get:

• A weekly bonus podcast
• Access to all past episodes
• Exclusive behind-the-scenes access
• A fortnightly newsletter
• Access to the members-only chatroom
• Ability to vote on future episodes
• Early access to any live show tickets

Follow Sports Bizarre on:

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

TikTok

YouTube

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.