Chris Lechner Swims Upstream, Against The Mighty Mo
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. Chris Lechner is a 56-year-old American hand surgeon and adventurer from Asheville, North Carolina.
He paddled solo 277 miles (446 km) in the French Broad River in North Carolina and attempted a non-escorted 80-mile (128.7 km) open water swim across Lake Michigan with a paddleboard in tow. He was rescued close to his goal, just short of swimming from Racine Harbor in Wisconsin to Holland, Michigan as his GPS indicated that he had swum 95 cumulative miles.
During the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, he has spent his time wisely between the morning and evening sessions. He drives to the banks of the Missouri River, nicknamed the Mighty Mo, where he then swims against the current. He swims one hour against the current, and then turns around to swiftly return to his starting point, wearing hand paddles to protect his hands against anything that he might run into while swimming in shallow water.
Copyright © 2016 by World Open Water Swimming Association
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.
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