Jennifer Figge
Encyclopedia
Jennifer Figge is an American athlete from Aspen, Colorado
. Born in Davenport, Iowa
, Figge is the daughter of opera singer Margherita Roberti
. In early 2009 for 24 days ending on February 5 she swam several sections of the Atlantic Ocean
from the Cape Verde Islands
off Africa to Chacachacare Island in Trinidad
off Venezuela (a total of 2,160 miles), spending much of the time in a shark cage while swimming up to 8 hours a day, battling strong winds and waves up to 30 feet. She had originally planned to swim to the Bahamas, but was blown 1000 miles (1,609.3 km) off course.
Several major media outlets initially erroneously reported she swam the entire distance across the ocean. The claim was challenged by several sources, as mathematically, Figge would have had to swim over 90 miles (144.8 km) a day at about ten miles per hour - a physical impossibility. In an interview with the Associated Press
, Figge said she "never intended to swim the Atlantic."
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
. Born in Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, Figge is the daughter of opera singer Margherita Roberti
Margherita Roberti
Dame Margherita Roberti is an American operatic soprano who had an active international career that spanned from 1948 to 1988. Although she performed throughout the world, Roberti achieved her greatest success and popularity in Italy. A dramatic soprano, Roberti drew particular acclaim for her...
. In early 2009 for 24 days ending on February 5 she swam several sections of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
from the Cape Verde Islands
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
off Africa to Chacachacare Island in Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
off Venezuela (a total of 2,160 miles), spending much of the time in a shark cage while swimming up to 8 hours a day, battling strong winds and waves up to 30 feet. She had originally planned to swim to the Bahamas, but was blown 1000 miles (1,609.3 km) off course.
Several major media outlets initially erroneously reported she swam the entire distance across the ocean. The claim was challenged by several sources, as mathematically, Figge would have had to swim over 90 miles (144.8 km) a day at about ten miles per hour - a physical impossibility. In an interview with the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Figge said she "never intended to swim the Atlantic."
See also
- Guy DelageGuy DelageGuy Delage claims he is the first person to swim solo across the Atlantic Ocean . 16 December 1994....
, who made an unverified claim to have swum across the Atlantic with the help of a kick board - Benoît LecomteBenoit LecomteBenoît Lecomte is a French long distance swimmer who has received wide credit for being the first man to swim across the Atlantic Ocean without a kick board in 1998. He did this to raise money for cancer research as a tribute to his father...
, the first person to swim across the Atlantic without a kick board