A 70-year-old Swimmer (grandfather) on August 31 2011 became the oldest person to swim across the English Channel, eventually making it to France after a marathon water race of almost 18 hours. He is the uncle of Hollywood actor Matt Damon. Roger Allsopp waded into the chilly sea at Shakespeare Beach in Dover, southeast England, at 8 am on August 30 2011. The retired breast cancer surgeon, from the Channel Island of Guernsey, was accompanied by a supported boat to help him navigate across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
He said: "I do feel an immense sense of achievement and relief that I have been successful. This has been an incredible personal challenge for me and my focus has always been to help raise money for Hope for Guernsey and Wessex Medical Research, a cause that I am extremely passionate about.
