Miller Swim Bond Kicks Up A Notch

Del.icio.us

Michael and Mackenzie Miller at the state meet with the Aulea Swim Club. They’ll go from chlorine to salt in the English Channel this month. Photo from Laurie LaGrange.

A Kailua father and daughter are raising awareness and money for the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund and the Xterra Foundation through a very special adventure - swimming the English Channel.

Michael Miller,54,and daughter Mackenzie left Hawaii Aug.9 (on Mackenzie’s 18th birthday) for England.While crossing the 19-plus mile channel, they will be in 60-degree water for about 11 to 14 hours. The swim begins south of Shakespeare Beach in Dover and finishes between Wissant and Cap Gris Nez, France.

“It’s been kind of considered the Everest of swimming,” said Miller. “A lot of historical people swam it from all over the world, and the early pioneers did it under a lot more trying conditions,” he said, noting the advantages today of special suits, goggles, etc. “It’s quite an event.”

In fact, the success rate of solo swimmers who’ve previously tried it is only 50 percent. There are strong tides to contend with, which change direction about every six hours. Swimmers do have support from escort boats, where relatives and others guide them around the busy commercial traffic lanes, as well as keep up their spirits.

For the past four and a half months, the Millers have trained by swimming in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay and in Kailua Bay. They even filled a portable pool with ice in their backyard to prepare.

Both also are avid swimmers. Since moving to Hawaii in 1977, Miller has been in several competitions,while Mackenzie had her first taste of swimming at age 9.She competed for Hawaii earlier this month in the Western Zone Championship in Oregon; she’s on Le Jardin Academy’s team as well as Kailua’s Aulea Swim Club.

“When here, we were swimming almost always at Kailua Beach. We did finish one of the last training sessions on the North Shore,to acclimate to cold water,” said the dad. “To meet the minimum qualifications in cold water we spent three weeks swimming in San Francisco Bay. (I’m) excited, always nervous before starting something like this, even with other swims I’ve done - they were of equal length,but always in warmer water. (This is) our first swim in colder water. Physically Mackenzie is ready; she had done a channel swim, but it was half the distance.”

Through the Millers’ website, www.mikenmacswim.org, people can learn about charities and explore links to donate to both. The Xterra Foundation provides resources for children with cleft palates, private school tuition for at-risk kids and athletes who want to compete but have physical challenges. Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund is dedicated to building a new museum and visitor center.

Both charities are near and dear to Miller’s heart. He used to be on the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund board and was inspired by their grassroots fundraising campaign. He considers his swimming the English Channel as his version of a grassroots campaign. As for his connection to the Xterra Foundation, Miller has a friends on the inside. “Tom Kiely, who actually runs the Xterra races through Team Unlimited, developed this foundation, and I’ve known him for a long time,” he said.