Can you imagine swimming through a cold and rough sea for nearly an entire day. That is what Matthew Webb did while knowing full well that nobody had ever successfully completed the challenge unaided before?
Today I want to find out a little about Captain Matthew Webb. He was an English sailor and endurance swimmer who became the first person recorded to swim across the English Channel without using a flotation device or other artificial assistance.
Matthew was born on the 19th of January 1848 in Dawley, Shropshire. He was one of thirteen children born to Dr Matthew Webb and his wife.
His family later moved near the River Severn, where Matthew learned to swim while he was still a child. Recreational swimming was far less common than it is today but he became unusually confident in the water.
When Matthew was twelve, he began training for a life at sea aboard HMS Conway. He later joined the Merchant Navy and travelled to destinations including India, China, Singapore and Egypt.
According to accounts of his maritime career, he once repeatedly dived beneath a ship in the Suez Canal to cut away a rope tangled around its propeller.
On another occasion, Matthew jumped into the Atlantic Ocean after a man fell overboard from a fast-moving ship. Although the missing sailor could not be saved, Matthew remained in the freezing water for more than half an hour before being rescued.
His bravery earned him the first Stanhope Gold Medal which was awarded by the Royal Humane Society for his courageous attempt to rescue the missing sailor.
Matthew later became fascinated by the possibility of swimming across the English Channel. Several people had attempted the crossing, but nobody had completed it without some form of artificial assistance.
His first attempt, on the 12th of August 1875, ended when worsening weather forced him to leave the water.
But, Matthew refused to abandon his ambition.
On the 24th of August, he entered the sea at Dover wearing a red swimming costume. A support boat followed him, it carried food and drinks that could be passed to him during the crossing.
Matthew mainly used breaststroke as he battled strong currents, cold water and exhaustion. He was also painfully stung by a jellyfish.
For several hours, currents near the French coast appeared to prevent him from reaching land. But he did not give in and continued to swim.
At approximately 10:41am on the following morning, after he had spent nearly twenty-two hours in the water, he finally reached the French coast near Calais.
Because the tides had pushed him backwards and forwards, he had reportedly covered around thirty-nine miles rather than swimming in a straight line.
Matthew returned to Britain as a national hero. Crowds gathered to welcome him, newspapers celebrated his achievement and public donations provided him with a considerable amount of money.
He became a professional swimmer, taking part in endurance races, exhibitions and increasingly dangerous stunts. But, public interest gradually declined and his financial situation worsened.
In 1883, despite suffering from tuberculosis and poor health, Matthew attempted to swim through the powerful Whirlpool Rapids below Niagara Falls.
Friends warned him that the challenge was too dangerous, but he continued with the attempt anyway.
Matthew entered the water on the 24th of July 1883. He was pulled beneath the surface by the violent currents and sadly did not emerge alive. His body was recovered four days later.
He was only thirty-five years old.
Matthew Webb is still remembered as one of Victorian Britain’s most extraordinary endurance athletes. His Channel crossing proved that a challenge widely considered impossible could be achieved through determination, preparation and remarkable physical courage.
Do you think Matthew’s later stunts showed bravery-or had his search for fame become too dangerous?
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