BRISBANE'S Michael Powell is back in the pool swimming laps after fulfilling a childhood dream to conquer one of the world’s most demanding physical challenges, the English Channel.
For Michael, 55, the 32km swim between England and France was made even more punishing because it was all arm work: he lost his lower left leg in a tractor accident when he was four and swims with barely a kick.
The Brisbane City Council procurement manager and father of four undertook the marathon swim to raise money and awareness for charity Foodbank Queensland’s school breakfast program.
He completed the swim in 15 hours and 25 minutes.
Michael told The Senior, however, that time was irrelevant once he hit the water.
“Whatever distance you swim, the end always seems long – whether it’s 800 metres or 1500 metres or 32 kilometres,” he said.
“I got to a point where I told the support crew to stop telling me the time because I didn’t want to get to a point and start thinking ‘I’ve never swum this long before’ and start questioning: I just wanted to get to the end.
“Everyone who knows me says I can be pig-headed, determined. I don’t give up. My mind is my biggest strength and in those waters, I needed focus to keep swimming.
“When I touched sand at Wissant, I was so relieved. My arms were killing me but I had to keep the strokes going until I got right into shore.”
Inspired in the 1970s by then “King of the Channel” Des Renford, Michael prepared for his own epic endurance challenge under the tutelage of channel speedster Trent Grimsey, who still holds the title for the fastest swim – six hours 55 minutes – set in 2012.
For Michael, training involved 12 hours a week of pool laps as well as open water swims off Redcliffe or the Gold Coast on weekends.
Already the inner-Brisbane Centenary Pool is seeming a tad too calm for Michael, who is mulling over another long-distance challenge ... or improving his PB.
