Murrysville Native Becomes First American Man To Complete "Oceans Seven" Challenge
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A local man's swimming skills, training, and determination have paid off.
Darren Miller of Murrysville completed what's known as "Oceans Seven" on Thursday.
That means he has swam seven ocean channels, with the most recent being the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland.
It's 21 miles long, and Miller finished the swim in 11 hours and 16 minutes.
KDKA's David Highfield spoke with him via Skype from Northern Ireland.
"It's a channel that's regarded as one of the most difficult channels in the world simply because the water is absolutely frigid at around 53 degrees," said Miller.
He's not allowed to wear a wet suit; instead, he can only wear a speedo and goggles.
A boat of family and friends travel alongside him during his swims giving him carbohydrates to eat, but he's not permitted to get out of the water.
"In open swimming you are not allowed out of the water, not allowed to have any support whatsoever besides the people on the boat giving you your food and water," Miller said in an interview with NewsRadio 1020 KDKA.
He doesn't do it for glory, but instead, to raise money for his charity. The Forever Fund raises money to help families of the infant cardiothoracic ward at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Here's a link to his website, if you'd like to learn more: https://www.darren-miller.com/
Listen to Darren Miller's interview with NewsRadio 1020 KDKA here:
Swimmer Darren Miller
Miller reportedly became the fourth person in the world to complete the "Oceans Seven" challenge, the first American man.
When Highfield asked what Miller intended to do to top this, he said: "At this point, I just want to focus on my career. I work at PNC Bank out of Murrysville."
He says he also wants to continue doing work as a motivational speaker and raising money for the charity.
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