Press Release from Pink Elephant Marketing, June 2015 We are really, really wanting to complete the primary support boat at a cost of about £50k. (medical, safety, food and boat capital). This may be cheaper if I negotiate discounts/sponsorship. This is our priority and would mean we are off in August! There are two other targets, if anyone can assist: A further £40K to pay the shark safety team ($US65K) A 2nd UK boat in the water at £75K which would carry the American marine research team and film crew. This could come down as we negotiate costs and discounts. Summary: Swim The Big Blue starts Nov 2015 from Senegal to Brazil; the world's first full ocean swim, every single mile of The Atlantic ocean. For 3 charities, environmental micro-plastics research being conducted en-route as well as human endurance research and all is being filmed for TV and Online audience. It is a guiness book of records attempt and we arrive for The Olympics in Brazil. Benefits are in the pack attached. We are also heavily engaged with schools in Gloucestershire and beyond; inspiring and fundraising with great success for our charities (Maggie's Cheltenham, Addaction, SOS Children Villages) and expedition! Post expedition there is a foundation being created for others with scientific aims and exploration; schools engagement; talks, book; documentary and more. Would be happy to meet and note that I previously worked with Adults with Aspergers. Thank you Ben Ben Hooper Expedition Leader & Swimmer www.swimthebigblue.com ben@swimthebigblue.com +44 (0) 7445550510 Twitter: @swimthebigblue Fbook: SwimTheBigBlueExpedition Linkedin: Swim The Big Blue (Ben Hooper) Instagram: swimthebigblue One Man, Africa to Brazil, 2000 Miles, Nov 2015 "Dream, Live and Achieve - Nothing is impossible" Our Patron: Sir Ranulph Fiennes It is a genuine honour and compliment, that a man of such standing, accomplishment and worldwide respect should offer his support by assuming the position as nominal patron of our "Swim The Big Blue" expedition. Whilst others may consider our attempt to be extreme and perhaps beyond comprehension, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, as “the world’s greatest living explorer,” is no stranger to imagining the apparently impossible and "making it happen against all odds" his message to our team, and particularly Ben, came as no surprise: "Congratulations on getting so well advanced on your very ambitious and worthy challenge!" Sir Ranulph Fiennes, 2013 Executive Summary Ben Hooper is to be the World’s first human to swim the full distance across The Atlantic Ocean; every single mile. The swim will start in November 2015 and cover 2000 miles from Senegal, Africa to Natal, Brazil, swimming up to 12 hours every day for up to 120 days. Ben will be tackling physical, mental, emotional and natural challenges. The swim be verified by the Guinness Book of World Records. The expedition will be filmed for global TV and an online audience via Facebook, YouTube channel and our website. There will be a documentary and book produced following the expedition. Key objectives To be the first human to swim every single mile (continent to continent), across The Atlantic Ocean achieving a Guinness World record. To increase awareness of environmental and ocean issues with Marine Biology and micro-plastic Environmental Research will be conducted by the University North Carolina Wilmington during the swim. To create an opportunity for world class research into Psychology of Performance; Endurance Nutrition and Health; Expedition Medicine conducted by Hartpury College, UWE and expedition medics. To implement an education programme for Key Stage 1 & 2 children in UK (USA age 4 - 11 years), engaging children in schools with the various subjects that the swim involves. To raise over £1 million for, and profiles of, Ben’s three charities. To provide inspiration and create a lasting legacy through the formation of a sports foundation, and water safety education programme UK-wide. Sponsorship Benefits ... when you support Ben in this exciting adventure: 120 days of global exposure through social media and online broadcasting. A unique backdrop for your product or brand placement in our TV documentary, providing a unique global advertising opportunity. Your Logo strategically placed in training and expedition filming, on clothing, support boats, equipment and personnel. Traditional press and global media coverage. Association with an historic achievement, a true role model and an adventure that will inspire your community, employees and generations to come . Personal appearances, motivational speaker sessions, educational lectures by Ben Hooper before and after the event. Association with marine biology and environmental research. Association with charitable fundraising in the UK and abroad and school visits. Post-expedition opportunities How the benefits will be measured: PR statistics from Palamedes PR (London). PR and Marketing return from Pink Elephant Marketing. Website company (traffic monitoring of website and all social media) Sponsorship Opportunities: We have a range of items required for the expedition which sponsors could donate or provide financial support for. Should your company want to take on a more significant sponsorship and become a headline sponsor, supporting Swim The Big Blue in this exciting adventure, your company would receive 120 days of extensive global exposure on TV, radio, press and social media, in addition to the expedition vessel, clothing and global PR opportunities. Headline sponsors would also have a unique backdrop for brand placement in both our training footage (online and TV) and our TV documentary itself both in the UK/Europe and USA. Your brand or company would be associated with the creation of a charitable foundation and raising funds for Ben’s three nominated charities. ‘Nothing is Impossible’ Media Coverage This expedition has received the following media coverage to date, many of whom are following the expedition as it develops: National and International Publications: UK Radio Coverage: US radio coverage: UK Television Coverage (news): International Television Coverage (Discovery Channel) Local/Regional Press & Publications: Social Media to date: 16.5 million 7 million 23 million 19 million 1.9 million 5 million 8,000 (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Website & YouTube channel) LOCAL PRESS, RADIO & TV For the last 18 months local and regional PR has increased. Our recent School Events Week attracted media coverage from BBC regional news, BBC Radio Gloucestershire and the Gloucestershire Echo and this will be complemented by the creation of a weekly blog in The Echo giving coverage of the swim as it happens to a wider audience. There is an article about Swim The Big Blue in the latest edition of GL Magazine, produced by the Gloucestershire Echo and aimed at an AB profile readership. Current print run 15,000 copies per week. Ben has already featured on ITV West Country news, ITV national news and Good Morning Britain news and more recently on BBC Points West primetime news, online and their Facebook page. Further, Cotswold Life magazine are preparing an article about Ben which will appear in the September issue. We are also working with Ben’s charities to promote Ben through their websites and social media channels. A Charity Fund Raising Event is currently being organised for mid-September. This will give potential sponsors an opportunity to be involved in corporate branding and publicity. It is anticipated that it will be a musical event, attracting up to 1,000 visitors to be held at an accessible and suitable location in Gloucestershire. NATIONAL PRESS AND TV We are currently in talks with a number of popular day time magazine programmes and TV media coverage as we near the start of the main swim. Our campaign, 'Buy a Mile for Ben' will launch in July 2015. This will provide individuals and companies the opportunity to buy miles online. In return they will have their name or company logo shown or if they wish, remain anonymous. We are planning to launch this campaign on national television with high-profile celebrities already involved. The Sunday Telegraph will run a series of articles about the expedition starting in September. There will also be other stories released between July and September in relation to Ben’s drowning incident as a child; world-class research that is being conducted during this expedition and, the development by Arena of specialist swimming equipment. The launch of this development by Arena will be September 2015 and involve a swim from Rome to Sardinia which will be filmed for international TV by Discovery Channel Canada’s Daily Planet show. US PRESS Media releases have been circulated to a number of newspapers around the Florida area covering Ben Hooper's swim around Key West on the 13th June. This will be stepped up in the weeks leading up to his Key West/Miami swim with releases going to national newspapers and TV networks across the US. Additional Pre-Expedition publicity: Training venues across the USA, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and South Coast UK wide travel for sponsor, press and school meetings School visits and events in Gloucestershire, South Wales and Herefordshire Hartpury College (UWE), Gloucestershire, for research meetings and testing Placement of product in training video footage (social media and documentary broadcast) and media coverage Ben’s participation at charity events for Maggie’s, Addaction and SOS Children Additional placement of logo on support vessel and Captain (UK based) Post-Expedition: Swim the Big Blue. UK and USA talk tours (travel, media coverage and social media). Expedition book – product placement and mention. Expedition photo book (coffee table) with product placement and logo. Media and press interviews and corporation motivational speaking (UK and beyond); school visits and charitable events. STBB charitable Foundation (association and support). “Swim With Ben” training camps across UK, USA and EU. The Swim Departing: November 2015 from Senegal, Africa. Arriving: February 2016 in Natal, North-East Brazil. ‘Swim The Big Blue’ will chart a course from Dakar in Senegal, Africa to Natal, North-East Brazil across the open Mid-South Atlantic Ocean. Using freestyle swimming (front crawl) Ben will swim up to a total of 12 hours per day in two six hour stages. His epic swim will take him over 30-foot surges, passing through shark-inhabited regions, and without doubt, he will encounter jellyfish, flying fish and a harsh Equatorial sun. Swimming in sea temperatures ranging from 20 – 30 degrees centigrade, (68 – 86 Fahrenheit), with currents from 1 – 7 knots flowing westward and north- west; this will be a grueling trial of endurance and mental strength unlike any before. When successful, Ben will be the first man in history to have swum an ocean in full, and will be the first man to explicitly and transparently detail his swim - swimming the exact mileage of the intended crossing. He will compete against the elements, himself, varying temperatures and rough seas. He will have appropriate swim clothing available to ensure swimming and safety can be maintained; should a smack of jellyfish be encountered a ‘stinger suit’ may be worn to counter or minimize the effect of stings. Additionally, Ben will be surrounded by at least one ‘Shark Shield’ device and shark-safe chemical repellents. The swim, on a daily basis, will be broken down into a maximum of two 6-hour periods. Between the two 6-hour sessions, there will be two hours of rest on the support boat. During this rest period (and overnight up to 10 hours), Ben will be aboard the boat where he will sleep and consume a high carbohydrate, fat and protein diet as well as re-hydrating. He may burn up to 12,000 calories per day. The boat and crew will note the GPS position of each swim entry and exit, and will account for drift in order to add any vacant distances back into the swim; a sailing route of 6,000km will contain the straight line swim of approx. 3,000km in order to ensure every single mile is swum for Guinness Book of Records. As a further measure use of an electric engine and sea anchor will reduce the drift, ensuring that the total mileage spent out of the water is minimized, recorded and still swum before the end of the expedition. A total of 1,736 miles (2000 miles for variation) in approximately 100 - 120 days; 128,720 lengths of a 25m swimming pool; 3.21 million metres of open- ocean using around a total of 2.1 million strokes depending on fatigue, weather and sharks - The daily target distance to swim is the equivalent of swimming the English Channel every day. Every detail and mile will be logged filmed and video diaries will give full and transparent accounts of the expedition and its support team. During each swim leg Ben will feed and drink approximately every thirty- minute’s whilst in the water. Always without touching the boat or any other supporting device, the crew will pass supplies to Ben by throwing or by pole depending on conditions. Unless there is an emergency or safety risk, Ben shall not have any other form of physical contact with the boat (other than being passed food/drink) during the two 6-hour periods of swimming. About Ben Hooper Ben, age 36, was born in London, United Kingdom; as a child he moved within the UK and EU with his family and the British Army with whom his father was in service. As an adult Ben has served with the military, police and worked within mental health and Psychology. In his spare time, he writes fiction and is a 2* AIDA free-diver and Open Water PADI scuba diver. His love of open water and swimming is second only to being a father. However, Ben's inspirational story of surviving premature birth, collapsed lungs and death in ICU at birth, is highlighted further by his drowning at five- years of age in a swimming pool in Belgium, which only served to enthuse him and drive his love of water and the sea. During his teen years, Ben took part in a few long distance swims for charity and recreationally trained in the pool, with running and golf being his other passions. He took part in some long distance swimming competitions, and as an adult swum in open water for distances of up to 10k. He then moved to training for long distance sea-swimming, middle distance running and eventually, a period of amateur triathlon competition. Later, whilst living in Fuerteventura, he turned his focus to spending more time in the swimming pool and sea for free-diving, scuba and long distance swimming but Ben remained a regular guy with a love of the open water and held his extraordinary dream close ... until now. Training sessions are structured and intense. Training ensures that Ben's technique is developed and worked on with pinpoint accuracy and developmental feedback from the Sports and Exercise Science team at Hartpury College. The mileage in the first five-months, 2013-14, of training ranged from 4-7 miles of swimming per day along with cardiovascular and core workouts. Distances in late 2014 increased to >20km per day and in 2015 the focus shifts to volume, load, nutrition and conditioning of Ben's body for the challenge ahead. This is pure endurance, technique and discipline building without which, his Atlantic Ocean swim would remain just a dream. During 2014 with open water swimming in the roaring seas of Europe and The Atlantic Ocean, distances and technique were further enhanced and saw a total target mileage of 2.8 million meters of swimming achieved in this year (approx. 115,000 lengths of a 25m swimming pool). He has regularly undertaken swims of 15 to 25 miles in lakes and the Mediterranean. Ben conducts a large part his open water training in the Mediterranean, Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico from Key West for conditions that match the Atlantic temperatures he will face in November 2015 and always, working under the guidance of his Hartpury and USA based support team and sports- science team: psychologist, endurance, nutrition and hydration specialists. The emphasis throughout is on both physical and mental conditioning to the seas and of course, the feat of endurance ahead. By training in the seas around Key West in Florida, he is conditioning his body to swimming in similar sea and air temperatures to those he will experience when swimming across The Atlantic Ocean. He will be conducting ‘stage’ swims (rest by night and swim by day from a vessel) as part of his training in both Florida and the Mediterranean prior to his departure for West Africa. Planned swims: 13th June Participation in the Florida Keys Community College Round Island Swim – a 12.5 mile swim around the pristine island of Key West - US PR August 5th – 12th Stage swim of approximately 200 miles Key West/Miami which will attract Global PR Sept 1st – 9th Rome to Sardinia stage swim of 149 miles with Arena (EU PR) When asked why he has not swum The English Channel or conducted stage swims around the UK, it is simply because the sea conditions are not equivalent to those he will experience whilst crossing The Atlantic Ocean. Food Requirements To be physically able, not only to undertake all the preparation required leading up to the Challenge, but during the actual Atlantic swim eating the correct nutritionally balanced diet is essential for Ben. Leading up to the swim Ben needs to consume up to 8,500 calories per day, and will be 10- 12,000 calories during the actual trans-Atlantic swim. In addition, his nine person crew will need to consume up to 3,000 calories per day for up to 120 days during the expedition. The expedition is looking for donations or funding of food covering: Ben's Training: High protein: meat, fish, chicken Hi calorie: full cream milk, cream, yogurt Slow release carbohydrate: pasta, rice, sweet potatoes, porridge oats, cereal, peanut butter and other nuts. Fruit and vegetables including fresh orange juice Quick acting energy bars and bottles of honey. Expedition: During the expedition, the requirement will switch to dried foods including specialist nutritionally balanced expedition packs. Other dried food products for Ben and his crew include pasta, rice, porridge oats, dried vegetables and fruit, tinned produce including tinned vegetables, tomatoes, fruit(small quantity), packet sauces and stock cubes, soups, dried milk, nuts, packet custard and something suitable for a Christmas meal! Research linked to the Expedition A research project was conducted by the University of Portsmouth as part of a FINA and IOC sponsored research project into endurance swimming in heat, following the death of a marathon swimmer in Dubai. Within this they were testing Ben's endurance in swimming distances under increased water and air temperatures. All of this was captured on film by Discovery Channel Canada, Daily Planet Show and distributed globally (this can be viewed on STBB homepage; note also that Discovery Canada, Daily Planet Show will be filming the launch and trial of Arena’s specialist wetsuit for Ben, during his Rome-Sardinia stage swim in September 2015). Marine Biology and Environmental Research, University of North Caroline Wilmington conducted by Bonnie Monteleone This research project will provide data on the spatial and temporal distribution of plastic particulate marine debris using Carpenter and Smith’s field study protocol established in 1970. This surface study was the same protocol described in a recent publication stating 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic are floating on the oceans’ surfaces globally (Eriksen, et al. 2014). This estimation is extrapolated across the five major gyres (North Atlantic South Atlantic, North Pacific South Pacific, and the Indian Ocean). These concentrated areas are being used to quantify abundance. This study will be unique in that we will attempt to collect 100 samples inside and outside the circulation currents that are part of the two gyres in The Atlantic Ocean during our 120 days at sea. We will use Carpenter and Smith's protocol to gain understanding of how samples inside the gyre compare to the currents traveling along the edge of the gyre perimeter. Furthermore, there has been little to no actual field study using surface sampling across the equatorial water highways and little is known about the plastic detritus transported in these ocean arteries. Also during this cruise track, we will be doing macro and micro biological observations. To date, across the Atlantic Ocean, there exists inconsistent and substantial data gaps for marine species research (although industries such as offshore energy development are moving forward rapidly in most coastal nations). To understand how marine mammals will be affected by such pressures, we must employ a monitoring plan that is not limited by political state, federal, and international boundaries. It is essential to first collect baseline data in developing and multi-use areas to then gage change over time during subsequent monitoring initiatives and address the cumulative impacts on marine natural resources. Psychology of Performance, Endurance Nutrition and Health Research will be conducted by BPS Chartered and HCPC Registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist Richard Collins, a lecturer at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire. Richard began his career with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology which he later supported with an MSc in Sport & Exercise Psychology. After establishing the consultancy Head for a Win some five years ago, he gained a wealth of experience in a wide range of sport, business and scholarly contexts. Richard’s other qualifications include being on the register for applied psychology practice supervisors, a registered psychometric test user in ability, aptitude and personality tests (British Psychological Society) as well as the ECCOS personality scale. Richard currently is a senior lecturer at Hartpury College, Gloucestershire where he teaches and delivers psychological support to the elite athletes who attend the college. The scientific aims of his research with Ben Hooper will be based on Physiology, Psychology, Nutrition and Endurance research. The findings will contribute to education, science and research development and provide a greater understanding of the human body and mind under extreme conditions. He will also conduct medical research relating to ultra-endurance swimming. This, particularly in open salt-water, poses a number of medical risks and challenges, which have not been thoroughly documented. The aims and objectives of Richard's research will be: 1. Mood Changes To evaluate mood change over the duration of a whole year and perceived exertion prior to, and during an ultra- endurance swim. Ben's moods will be plotted against his training schedule and his perceived effort he is putting into the training to establish how his mood might impact on training performance. This will also help establish how we might vary his swim duration on each day of the swim. We will also be examining how his cognitive function varies with increased intensity of training and the challenge. i.e. how well will his brain work to solve simple problems. 2. Effects of ultra-endurance swimming To determine the effects of ultra-endurance swimming on normal physiological and biochemical parameters and to document the range of medical conditions encountered and ways of managing them. Research will examine various physical markers throughout Ben's training and the challenge to establish how his body is coping with all that swimming. Medics will look at Ben's blood results, his immunology, sweat levels, weight loss and potentially changes in his bone mass to help understand how the body reacts in these types of circumstances. 3. Practitioner reflection To provide a practitioner reflection based upon the experiences of an integrative team on a novel expedition. He may be facing shark-infested waters but new kit will help give Atlantic adventurer Ben sweet dreams! The Hartpury support team helping Cheltenham’s Ben Hooper get ship-shape for his epic 2000-mile Atlantic swim have been boosted by a new piece of kit. Hartpury’s Richard Collins, Tom Cresswell, Ben Drury and James McCarron, are the Sports and Exercise Team behind Ben, who is preparing to become the first person to swim the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to Brazil. And Head of Physiotherapy at Hartpury, Tom, has recently been making the most of the latest technology to aid recovery for elite, endurance athletes with Ben at the college’s new therapy suite – the Cyclo-ssage full body therapy system. Ben will be swimming front crawl for up to 12 hours a day when he starts his ‘Swim the Big Blue’ adventure in November 2015 in Dakar Harbour in Senegal. The epic 90-day swim will take him through 30-foot surges in shark inhabited regions and he will encounter jelly fish, flying fish and a harsh Equatorial sun. He will also swim through “The Doldrums” – infamous for their stillness and humidity – and not forgetting the prospect of raging storms! Getting enough good quality sleep during the expedition will clearly be a challenge, but it is vital to the success of the swim, and that’s where the Cyclo-ssage comes in. This new therapy system combines massage with infrared heat and can be used for pain management but also to alleviate stress and fatigue and boost recovery. Tom said: “The bed works by using oscillation, combining heat and vibration. We’ve been using it two to three times a week with Ben to speed up his recovery and for relaxation, so it’s key to our preparations. “Ben will also be able to use it to fall asleep on at night during the challenge. It should allow his body to relax more quickly, boost the circulation back to his heart by keeping his feet elevated and help with lymphatic drainage. That all helps with recovery and will mean he should feel better prepared to face each day.” The swim will be broken down into two six-hour periods with two hours of rest on the support boat in between. Should Ben meet a smack of jellyfish during his swim, he could be forced to wear a ‘stinger suit’ to minimise the effect of stings and he will be equipped with a ‘Shark Shield’ device, which emits low frequency electrical fields. The support boat will also be equipped with a counter-shark device and shark-safe chemical repellents. The man charged with making Ben mentally strong enough to face this challenge is Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist, Richard Collins, who is head of Sports Psychology at Hartpury. He has experience of working with Great Britain athletes and international sportsmen and women in a range of sports. Ben Drury, a university lecturer in Strength and Conditioning at Hartpury, has an extensive background of training and preparing athletes and teams in endurance sports. He and James McCarron are working closely with Ben to ensure he’s in the best physical condition for the swim. Ben Hooper said: "The Swim the Big Blue expedition is without doubt the biggest challenge I have ever faced. It will test my abilities and levels of endurance to the absolute limit and the support of Richard, Tom, Ben and James at Hartpury has been invaluable in preparing me, both physically and mentally, for what lies ahead. “I’m hugely grateful to cyclo-ssage for helping to finance my expedition and for providing me with this fantastic bit of state-of-the-art kit, which will be a massive help before, during and after the swim. If I’m feeling relaxed and rested, I’ll be able to perform better, it’s that simple!” Every detail of Ben’s swim will be logged, independently observed and verified, while filming and a video diary will give full and transparent accounts of the expedition and its support team. To find out more, go to www.swimthebigblue.com From press release supplied by Hartpury College Hartpury College: Hartpury College is one of the UK’s leading land-based and sports colleges. The campus covers more than 360 hectares and is located near to Gloucester and Cheltenham. Hartpury is an Associate Faculty of the University of the West of England (UWE) and has 1,400 students completing foundation degrees, honours degrees and postgraduate qualifications in equine, sport and animal and land studies. The college also has 1,600 students studying A Levels, BTEC Diplomas and short courses. Ben's Support Team Andy Olday's Shark Safety Team Andy Olday Born in Newcastle, England. Resident of Key West Florida since 1994, Andy is the Training & Community Manager for Divers Direct, Key West. He was a member of Diana Nyad’s 2012 Cuba to Florida swim attempt and Captain of Chloe McCardel's Shark protection and rescue crew in 2013. A certified PADI SCUBA instructor since 1996, Andy has been privileged to teach and dive in many locations around the world. An avid free diver, boater and spear fisherman, he brings years of oceanic experience to the team including multiple shark encounters, First Aid Responder and Videography skills. Blake Knowles Born and raised in Key West, Florida, Blake is an expert local spear fisherman, boater, SCUBA diver and Divers Direct Sales Associate. He offers a huge amount of first-hand experience and knowledge of Caribbean marine animals to the team. Blake was a member of the team for the 2012 Cuba - Florida swim attempt by Chloe McCardel Rob Bond Originally from Tampa, Florida, Rob is a long term resident of the Florida Keys and is considered by many of his peers to be a leading authority on spear- fishing and free-diving, is a licensed U.S. Coast Guard, approved boat captain and has an enormous amount of Caribbean Sea experience. In addition, he offers value underwater photography skills and experience to the team. Rob functioned as co-captain on the Chloe McCardel swim in 2013, and was a key member of the Diana Nyad attempt in 2012. Swim The Big Blue Skippers Chris Gonco – Captain Support Vessel 1 Having grown up on the Norfolk broads, boats are in his blood, having spent over 23 years sailing catamarans around the English and French coastlines and open sea. If he is not at sea he will be on a trek, most recently the GR20 and the South Downs and is honoured to be responsible for Ben’s wellbeing and safe passage in this world first, continuing family tradition with his father’s hand-built catamaran “WindCat” which will without a doubt guide Ben and his crew to a safe crossing of finish line in Brazil. Nothing is impossible! Chris Jankins – Captain Support Vessel 2 Chris has lived within 1 mile of the Atlantic Ocean his entire life. His proven abilities on the ocean in all types of conditions, from Nor'easters, Gales, hurricanes and even the “Perfect Storm” have always added a level of experienced control to all situations. With over 1,000 days at sea, 100-tonnes skippers licence, PADI Dive Instructor and a passion for adventure, Chris is excited to be a part of Swim the Big Blue and to make history for Boston, his children and of course, Ben and the team. Medical / Trauma Team Rob Whistance, MB ChB BSc MRCS Rob is a registrar in Emergency Medicine at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with special interests in trauma, emergency surgery and expedition medicine. He has undertaken much of his medical training abroad in remote and impoverished environments, including sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Rob loves high altitude trekking, having successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Kinabalu in Borneo and the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. Recently he has undertaken further specialist training with the Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Society, and in the coming year will be a medic on expeditions to Mount Toubkal in Morocco, Everest base camp and (for a second time) Mount Kilimanjaro. He is also a volunteer at UK long distance events and understands the medical problems encountered by endurance athletes. With the aid of Portsmouth University and a limited amount of prior research experience, Rob will assist in a study to examine the effects of human endurance swimming on physical and psychological wellbeing. "Ben is a remarkable athlete and a character. As medical support staff, we are in a unique position to be able to study first-hand the effects of endurance swimming on the human body both mentally and physically. My role is to keep Ben and our team safe for 2,000 miles across the open Atlantic so that we can complete the task at hand and yet provide a valuable and meaningful contribution to the healthcare literature.” Dr Elle Farrell MB BCh BSc (Hons) Elle is an F2 doctor working for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in Newport, Wales. She graduated from Cardiff University in 2012 with degrees in Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology and her special interests include dermatology, tropical medicine and woman’s health. She is a keen traveller and has backpacked around South East Asia, India and the Trans-Mongolian railway. Her passion for travelling and languages have given her the opportunity to volunteer as a women’s’ healthcare worker in both Madagascar and India, while she has also organised a team to improve healthcare provision for children with learning disabilities in Belarus. In her spare time, Elle enjoys walking and swimming (although perhaps not quite as much as Ben!), and has successfully undertaken the Three Peaks Challenge while regularly trekking in the Brecon Beacons. As the second doctor on the expedition, Elle is looking forward to helping to make history and to be an integral part of the team’s safety. Environmental and Marine Research Team Bonnie Monteleone - Plastic Marine Debris Research Scientist (UNCW) As the Director of Science, Research and Academic Partnerships for Plastic Ocean Project, Inc., Bonnie Monteleone is a researcher who has collected plastic marine samples globally including 4 of the 5 gyres, the Caribbean, and has extended this work to endorheic lakes. Monteleone completed her first field study exploration in the North Atlantic Gyre in July 2009 in collaboration with Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science (BIOS). In the fall of 2009, she accompanied Algalita Marine Research Foundation’s 10-year resampling of the North Pacific Gyre quantifying the rate of marine debris growth to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, sampling a transect of 3,460 nautical miles (nm). In the Autumn of 2010, she joined 5 Gyres Institute in a first ever South Atlantic transect sampling for pelagic marine debris travelling 4,270 nm from Brazil to South Africa. In 2012. Monteleone was the lead researcher in sampling the South Pacific. To date, she has 5 years of data sets from the North Atlantic with publication pending. A total of 217 surface samples were collected from all four oceans. Outside of UNCW, Monteleone collaborates with Charles Moore, founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation (AMRF), Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummings, co-founders of 5 Gyres Institute, Dr. William J. Cooper, University of California Irvine (UCI), and Dr. Maureen Conte, BIOS. Bonnie Monteleone also works in the Chemistry Department at UNC Wilmington as an Administrative Assistant and Plastic Marine Debris Lab coordinator working with student Directed Independent Studies (DIS) research. Research projects very from fieldwork collecting beach samples to lab analysis looking at plastic leachates, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) uptakes, and plastic ingestion by marine organisms. Sarah Mallette - Marine Science Researcher / Aerial Marine Observer Sarah's ultimate goal is to make a significant difference in the field of marine science and conservation. Originally she became interested in the ocean andcoastal waters as a child, growing up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, immersed in nature and surrounded by wetlands, barrier islands, and the ocean. She then began venturing offshore along the Atlantic, riding along on sport fishing vessels, dredge vessels as an endangered species observer, and any research cruise she could find and that had available space. These opportunities are those that intrigued and engrained in her the unquestionable desire to learn more about our oceans, especially pelagic ecosystems and the megafauna within. Marine science and conservation have been a part of her life since I was young, and it continues to be her passion as she pursues research and further academics. Applied Sports & Exercise Science Team Richard Collins - Sports Psychologist - BPS Chartered and HCPC Registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist Richard is a HCPC Registered Sport and Exercise and BPS Chartered Psychologist with an honours degree in Psychology as well as a distinction in MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology. Richard runs a sport psychology private practice "Head for a Win" as well as working at Hartpury College as a Senior Lecturer and lead psychologist for the Hartpury Elite Teams. His previous experience includes working with GB athletes and other international representatives from the sporting worlds of rugby, football, golf, athletics, martial arts, archery, equestrianism and rowing. The challenge that Ben is undertaking will require a significant amount of mental energy and Richard hopes to provide Ben and the team with the psychological tools and the support required on this inspirational journey across the Big Blue! Tom Cresswell - Lecturer and Sports Therapist Tom specialises in rehabilitation and strength and conditioning. Prior to joining Hartpury, Tom had worked with Bristol and Exeter Chiefs rugby clubs as well as in the USA at Georgia State and Denver University. He specialises in rehabilitation and strength and conditioning. Prior to joining Hartpury, Tom had worked with Bristol and Exeter Chiefs rugby clubs as well as in the USA at Georgia State and Denver University. As an elite junior basketball player, Tom has continued to work for the English national teams, including at the FIBA European Championships. Ben Drury - Applied Sport Performance Team, Hartpury College Ben Drury has joined the team at Swim The Big Blue with an extensive background of working with athletes in endurance sports. His speciality lies in the training and preparation of athletes and to date he has worked with a vast number of teams and athletes across a wide range of sports at international, national and amateur level. He is currently Programme Manager in Strength & Conditioning at the University of West England Hartpury and also works as a Sport Scientist at St Georges Park – the training base for the England national football teams. As a former national standard swimmer when he was younger and his knowledge of endurance performance, Ben hopes to use his experience to ensure that Ben is in the best physical condition possible for the swim. Swim & Sailing Support John Rogers - Support Crew John Rogers is a Director of Gloucestershire Plumbing & Heating contractors Shackleton & Wintle and proud to be a supporter of Ben’s Atlantic swim attempt. John is a keen sportsman, attends Cheltenham’s ‘Up & Running’ Gym regularly and is a keen golfer. He describes himself as a ‘lapsed’ sailor, having sailed regularly in his youth but maintains a passion for sailing and water sports. John aspires to achieving his Yachtmaster Offshore sailing certificate. Lydia Aldridge – Navigator & Swim Support A former merchant navy navigator, Lydia is currently undertaking a degree in farm management after having left the merchant navy in 2014. Originally born in Scotland, she has been an avid sailor since a child. Lydia grew up in a fishing town in South Essex and used to compete in dinghy sailing at National level. Lydia has been on a few charity expeditions before, although never one that involved crossing an ocean. “I’m a sucker for a challenge whether it be mental or physical and Ben’s swim seemed like a great opportunity to be involved with something that will push the human body to its limits. I think everyone can relate to at least one of Ben’s choice of charities, myself included.” This expedition will complete Lydia’s circumnavigation of the globe, something which she has been dreaming of since she was a child. In her spare time Lydia captains the rowing team at her university, kayaks, attends Young Farmers, skis, sails and enjoys being involved in engineering projects.