It all began with an article in the Austin-American Statesman about Ben Lecomte's brave attempt to swim the Pacific Ocean to raise awareness of the increasing pollution filling our world's water resources. Dr. Molly Bray was teaching Sports Nutrition at the time, and she invited Ben to visit a class to describe the various challenges he would face. Ben became a "class project," and the nutrition students came up with creative ways to feed Ben on his journey. Since then, the Department of Nutritional Sciences has stepped up to sponsor and advise Ben as he crosses the largest ocean in the world.
After years of planning, Ben's swim was officially launched on June 5, 2018. In addition to ocean predators, weather, currents and other challenges, Ben faces many nutritional challenges as well. He must eat approximately 8,000 calories per day, and that's not easy when most of his day is spent in the water swimming. His "go to" food? Believe it or not, it's SPAM! While Spam would not be on anyone's list of the top nutritious foods, it is calorie-dense, high in protein and fat, and contains small amounts of micronutrients. It is also high in sodium, which is important for athletes who lose electrolytes through sweating (and even swimmers can lose a sufficient amount of bodily fluids through sweating).
If you are interested in learning more about Ben or his adventures, check out his website and live tracker as he embarks on The Longest Swim.
The Longest Swim
Ben Lecomte, 2018
