Born in France, Ben now is a naturalized US Citizen and calls Texas home. An architect graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, he’s always loved adventure and has continually pushed himself to excel. His latest endeavor – to swim across the Pacific Ocean – is a monumental feat that will test his endurance, both physically and mentally. He is exercised, disciplined and up to the challenge that swimming thousands of grueling miles will require!

Ben is just like a guy next door, is a father of two, but he has an intense drive to reach his captivating dreams, which sets him apart from others.

To that end, Ben’s training regimen includes three to five hours, six-days-a-week swimming and cardiovascular cross-training (including bicycling and calisthenics). He will require 8,000 calories a day during his swim. He is utterly dedicated and does not give up without a fight.

With one record breaking event under his belt, the successful swim of the Atlantic Ocean in 1998, the Swim across the Pacific is just another feather in his cap.

Ben will dedicate this swim to his father just as he did the Atlantic swim. His father, after all, taught him how to swim. He died of cancer in 1991 at the age of 49, after an 18 month struggle, a struggle Ben won’t ever forget but which provides Ben with inspiration and courage.

BEN’S FAMOUS QUOTES

“My battle was very different from the one faced by cancer patients, it was my decision and I could give up at any time. But during my swim I better understood their suffering and the feeling of not knowing the outcome.”

“You might not be able to swim in my world, but I know I cannot swim in your world.”

“I found it very difficult to do the same thing over and over: looking at the same blue background, hearing the same noise, tasting the same strong salty water. But I don’t want to live a life of regret.”

“My passion is intact, I just focus on happy moments of my journey and I am ready to take on the Pacific.”

“My Atlantic swim will give me an edge.”

“When you finish something big like that, you can feel the pain and strain. But when you look at it with a more objective view, it makes you want to do something bigger.”

“Swimming to honor the memory of my father is even more significant now that I am a father.”