Would You Swim in the Hudson River?

by Sooze, Babes Love Baseball

It's crazy how some people take things that others find relaxing or taxing and turn them into a sport.

Take running, for example. I don't run unless I'm being chased by the law. Other people, who don't smoke, run for the fun or competition of it.

Then there are the swimmers. I swim for fun -- mostly off a boat in lakes and rivers, since there are no oceans near Minnesota -- but for fun nonetheless.

So, when I heard about Skip Storch and his record-setting swim around Manhattan, I thought to myself, "Is that guy going to get gangrene or staph infection? More importantly, what moved him to swim the salty, choppy waters of the Hudson river? Gangsters dump bodies there... not to mention the occasional sea cow sighting."

I thought, either this guy has some of the biggest nuts ever, or he has no regard for his immune system. Turns out, he just has a really big heart.

Storch did the swim unassisted -- wearing only a bathing suit, cap and goggles -- to raise money for the sarcoidosis treatment program at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Sarcoidosis, according to the Mayo Clinic, is an inflammatory disease that starts in your lungs, but over time can affect virtually any organ in your body, threatening to shut it down with tiny clumps of cells. The disease has afflicted many New Yorkers, including Storch, since the terrorist attacks of September 11th sent rolling clouds of contaminated dust into the air around their city.

The previous record for the 85.5-mile swim was 33 hours and 30 minutes, set by Stacy Chanin in 1984. Storch circled Manhattan three times in a record 32 hours, 52 minutes and 30 seconds Thursday night, before being taken to the hospital by family members. He remained hospitalized for two days with hypothermia, muscle tears, and scrapes before heading home Sunday, just in time for a sweet, victorious Labor Day barbecue.

Awesome.