It all began when Reddit user ashinn found a beat up GoPro camera that had washed ashore in Huntington Beach, Calif. The camera was so rusted and in such poor condition, he had to tear it apart in order to retrieve the SD card, which stores the camera’s files.
Luckily, the card was still readable, and although there were only 16 files on it, ashinn uploaded them to Dropbox, and posted to the subreddit r/WhatsInThisThing, with the title “I found a GoPro washed up on the beach yesterday. Here are the files. How did it get there?”
Before launching into any sport, it’s important to know three things: the rules, the stakes, and when to quit. In the case of Diana Nyad, the resolute 64-year-old long-distance swimmer, acknowledging two out of three ain’t bad.
On August 31st, 2013, Nyad jumped into the shark-friendly waters of Cuba and swam some 110-odd miles—without the protection of a shark cage—to eventually reach the shores of Key West, Florida, some 53 hours later.
Spain said on Thursday border police had fired rubber bullets in an attempt to turn back around 200 migrants who tried to cross the frontier between Morocco and Spain’s north African enclave Ceuta on February 6.
Several migrants from the group drowned in the Mediterranean trying to swim around a man-made breakwater that separates Moroccan and Spanish waters. The death toll rose to 12 on Thursday as Spanish police said they had found another body near the shore. They are still searching for victims.
http://youtu.be/8eEah3n31ns
Every year thousands of Africans try to reach Europe via Spain’s two north African enclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, either by swimming along the coast or climbing the triple walls lined with razor wire that mark the border with Morocco.
Migrants who live rough in the mountains on the Moroccan side, waiting for an opportunity to rush the frontier, told Spanish media the police fired rubber bullets at them and sprayed them with tear gas as they tried to swim to land.
According to an article in The Economist, Russia has been using xenon as a performance-enhancer for a few years now. A 2010 document produced by the State Research Institute of the Ministry of Defence advises on how to use the gas. Before competition it can help with listlessness and sleep disruption, and afterwards it can improve recovery.
The manual recommends a 50:50 mixture of xenon and oxygen, inhaled for a few minutes, ideally before going to bed. The gas’s action continues for 48 to 72 hours, so it should be repeated every few days.
Xenon doesn’t just stimulate EPO production. Because it works by activating production of a protein called Hif-1 alpha, which in turn causes production of other hormones as well as EPO, the manual claims its benefits include increasing heart and lung capacity, preventing muscle fatigue, boosting testosterone and improving an athlete’s mood.
According to Danish media jp.dk, experiments have been made with elite swimmers. I cannot find a source in English, but then there is this in the Economist article:
And the gas appears to have been used in past Olympics. The website of Atom Medical Centre, a Russian medical-xenon producer, cites national honours the company received for its efforts in preparing athletes for the 2004 summer Olympics and the 2006 winter games.
BTW, inhaling Xenon has an interesting (short time) effect on your voice
Summer holidays are the ideal opportunity to enjoy some time on the beach, lapping up the ocean waves and sea breeze. However, an idyllic summer break can be spoilt if you are unfortunate enough to be taken ill, with one of the most common afflictions being swimmer’s ear.
What is swimmer’s ear?
Swimmer’s ear is an infection in the outer ear canal and is often brought on by water trapped in the ear after swimming. This water creates a moist environment for bacterial growth and can lead to an infection, creating a range of unpleasant symptoms.
“Swimmer’s ear is more common in water with higher bacterial counts, which generally include lakes or other un-chlorinated bodies of water,” says Dr. Green, a columnist for Parenting Magazine.
Two years of training led Ruby Sherlund to this moment.
The 81-year-old gripped the side of the pool with manicured fingers on Sunday as she waited for the race to start. Her wheelchair sat empty on the pool deck at Mesquite Grove Aquatic Center in Chandler.
At the sound of the buzzer, she and two other competitors shoved off the wall for the 50-yard backstroke race in the Arizona Senior Olympics swimming competition.
Being in a wheelchair has not stopped this young spirit to stay active, and she’s currently training hard to compete in the 2014 Senior Olympics in Chandler.
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