How difficult is the Cross-English Channel Swim?
As it is a very unique event in the world, it is hard to quantify. However, an illuminating comparison might be to consider one of the other great physical challenges on Earth: to climb Mt. Everest. Since 1953, when Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary first achieved the summit, over 1,500 people have climbed Mt. Everest in 50 years. By comparison, in 130 years of Cross-English Channel swimming, only around 600 people have made the swim across. The success rate (ratio of attempts to successes) is about 40%. While it is impossible to compare the two achievements in any objective way, these numbers give one an idea of the rarity of the task.
