He learned to swim at 33. Now, he’s taking on the treacherous Kaiwi Channel

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A man who learned to swim at age 33 will attempt to cross the Kaiwi Channel on Thursday.

And he’s dedicating the 27-mile journey from Molokai to Oahu to raise money for breast cancer awareness and research.

Although he started swimming later than most, Sri Viswanathan, 50, has already crossed the English and Catalina Channels.

These are two of “The Ocean’s Seven″ — a grueling challenge even for the world’s best swimmers.

Living in India without easy access to the ocean, the full-time engineer says he’s been preparing with eight to 10-hour training sessions in a pool.

“Because at the end of the day, it is all about managing your energy level, managing your stamina,” says Viswanathan.

“So, I usually I’m a vegetarian, so I prefer dry fruits like dates and dry apricots during my swims, apart from the fruits like bananas and electrolytes.”

Viswanathan hasn’t chosen which beach he’ll set out from, but says he hopes to make it to either Sandy’s or Alan Davis within 18 hours.

He says he plans to begin after 5 p.m. Thursday night, depending on ocean conditions.

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