Conor Hartnett Swam 23 Miles from England to France for Children in Need of Cleft Palate Surgery
 
(New York, N.Y.) – Some people go on a road trip for their summer vacation. Others go to the beach. For Conor Hartnett, a New Yorker with a big heart, it was a short – but historic — trip from England to France.
 
On Tuesday, July 28th,  the  42 year old Long Island pub successfully swam from the Strait of Dover in England to France.  Hartnett’s goal for the swim was to raise $10,000 for Smile Train, a charity that provides free cleft lip and palate surgery for children in developing countries. He completed the swim in 14 hours and 19 minutes. Now in its tenth year, the Smile Train helps children with cleft lip and palate for as little as $250 and in only 45 minutes, giving them a new smile and a new life.
 
The English Channel is considered the ‘Mount Everest’ of open water swimming. More people have been to outer space than have swum the 23-mile English Channel successfully since Captain Matthew Webb first swam it in 1875. Many swimmers frequently abort the swim as the weather is often too big of an obstacle. 
 
Hartnett had a 10 day weather window in which to complete the swim. Weather conditions are often not favorable; there was a strong chance he would not even get to set foot in the water. His training and determination prepared him, “I haven’t given any thought to not making it. It’s not an option,” he said.
 
For the race he wore a simple bathing suit, goggles and a cap.  In summer, the water temperatures average only 60F.  The conditions didn’t faze him, as he admits to doing some pretty amazing things in just a bathing suit. His only sustenance was Gatorade and a high-energy gel lured to him by a string.   His wife Andrea, his brother Daniel, sister Anne and 12 year old nephew Joe were among his supporters while he swam across the channel.
 
“We would like to congratulate Conor on this amazing achievement,” said Brian Mullaney, President of Smile Train. “He has inspired all of us at Smile Train to remember that amazing things are possible with perseverance and a dream.”
 
ABOUT THE SMILE TRAIN
 Smile Train is the world’s leading cleft charity with thousands of partners and programs in 76 of the world’s poorest countries. Our mission is to help the more than 4.7 million children in developing countries who are suffering with unrepaired clefts. We provide free cleft surgery to children from poor families that give children not just a new smile, but a new life. Now in its tenth year, Smile Train has now helped over 524,000 children.