DALLAS — Ben Lecomte has a lofty — some would say impossible — dream: To swim across The Pacific Ocean.
The French athlete now lives in the Dallas area as he trains for his quest from Japan to San Francisco.
Lecomte's personal story of loss is driving him to gain another world record — one that will put his mental and physical endurance to the test.
He recently underwent a thorough physical exam, including a CT scan of his heart, lungs, and other major organs at the Cooper Aerobic Clinic.
And that is just the beginning.
"Just watch out for the sharks is what I tell ya," said Dr. Kenneth Cooper with a laugh. And when the world-renowned health expert says something, it's wise to listen.
"Oh, he looks fantastic; his EKG is fine," Dr. Cooper said.
That's a good sign as Lecomte gets ready for his 5,500-mile swim. The 44-year-old is in the pool five hours a day, six days a week to train for his goal.
"I'm crazy for two reasons: One is for swimming the Pacific and the other is, 'Oh, you're too old... past the expiration date!" Lecomte said.
But time stands still as he reflects on his father, the man who taught him to swim as a little boy. Lecomte's father died of colon cancer.
"When you have a person who is close to you that you never thought would disappear and something like that happens, you are automatically thinking of a way to make it better," the swimmer said.
That inspiration drove Lecomte to become the first man in history to swim across the Atlantic Ocean in 1998, a feat he dedicated to his dad.
"I'm thinking about my father and the people who are going through the same thing who have cancer and the benefit of trying to raise more money to find a cure for cancer, because it affects everybody," Lecomte said.
It's that goal that keeps the swimmer's mental game afloat. He estimates it will take him up to six months to cross the Pacific, and staying focused is the key to crossing the finish line.
"You know, all world-class athletes do that," Dr. Cooper said. "A normal person would stop... even on this treadmill. They wouldn't go that hard. But these men have been able to get that on their mind and push themselves beyond barriers that we couldn't possibly do."
Especially when facing aquatic onlookers that aren't necessarily fans.
"I had a shark following me for five days. That's not a tuna... that's a shark," Lecomte recalled. "At that time I got in the boat, and the next day it wasn't there any more."
He understands the danger, and so does his wife. But after welcoming him home when he made landfall after swimming across the Atlantic, she is confident he'll conquer the Pacific, too.
"What the human body is able to do... it defies our imagination," Dr. Cooper said.
Some might say Ben Lecomte's body is a stroke of genius as he strives for a world record of the longest swim.
E-mail ddenmon@wfaa.com
