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On my recent trip to Dover I tried to meet our next guest Paul (Hoffy) Hopfensberger who was training for a double but each time I made my way down to the beach he was training for 6 or 7 hours so we never met .He is the 1st swimmer on our swimmers profile we have never met but I did have a chance to speak to his wife who waited all that time on the beach for her husband.Unfortunately Hoffy didn't complete his double but still made it across for his 2ND solo so well done Hoffy.I see that your favorite holiday destination is Sydney so maybe next time you may head a little south of Sydney and join the Black ice team.
1: Name: Paul Hopfensperger (Hoffy)
2: Age: 45
3: Resides: Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom
4:Swimming Highlights: My first county title – 100 Metres Backstroke, 1978. Suffolk Open Champion – 100 Metres Freestyle, 1983. Swimming the English Channel – 2007 & 2008. Competing in a FINA World Cup Open Water Grand Prix, Serbia 2008 at the age of 45!
5:Biggest influence and coach: Mark Spitz, Munich Olympics 1972 when I was 9. John Stemp my coach from the age of 12, and again at the age of 44 to swim the English Channel.
6:Swimming Idol: Mark Spitz & David Wilkie.
7: Pool or Ocean: Ocean
8:How many kms a week: 10km in the pool in Winter. 50Km in the pool and ocean from May until September.
9:Longest swim and how many hours in the water: English Channel – July 10, 2007 – 13 Hours 52 Minutes. September 12, 2008 – 13 Hrs. 03 Minutes.
10:Favorite place you have swam: In a lake – Zell-am-See, Austria
11:Coldest place you have swam and temp: World Cold Water Swimming Championships, London 2008 – 5.9 Degrees Centigrade.
12:Roughest swim eg. Wave height and wind speed: Dover Harbour May 2008 (see my blog for the Video!!!)
13:Swimming goals:To complete as many open water swims in the world as possible.
14:What or who motivates you: Raising as much money as I can for charity, and proving the doubters and the people who want to see me fail wrong!
15:How much is Physical: 20% Mental: 80%
16:Favorite saying: “At the end of your life when the final book on you is written, let it say you tried and failed, but don’t let it say you didn’t even try.” – Jim Rohn
17:Biggest fear swimming eg..cold jellyfish,sharks etc.. Sharks
18:Swimming close calls: None so far!
19:Tips for other swimmers: Believe in yourself. Nothing is impossible how ever old you are. I know this from my own and other people’s personal experiences.
20:What would you eat and drink during a swim: Maxim, Paracetamol & Ibuprofen!
21Worst place you have swam: Hadleigh swimming pool Suffolk, UK. It was so bad that you couldn’t even see the walls and I cracked my ankles on the walls at every tumble turn!
22:Worst injuries: Calf muscles going from their correct location to the back of your hamstrings when swimming!! God I hate that!
23:Favorite food,drink,music ,movie and holiday destination: “Daddy Pasta” (my own recipie), Wine, U2, There’s Something About Mary, Sydney Australia.
24:What do you think of when you are in the water for hours: Absolutely anything that floats in and out of my head. I just relax. Sometimes I go to sleep!
25:Where is one place you haven’t or would like to swim: The North Pole.
26:3 people you would invite to dinner: Napolean Hill. Mark Hughes (Herbalife), Jim Rohn.
27:Cold water tips: Just get in, put one arm in front of the other and keep swimming. It’s really that simple if you train your mind to it.
28:Toughest competitor: Petar Syochev, Bulgaria – English Channel World Record Holder.
29:Diet and how much is weight a factor on long distance swims: To fatten up for a long distance cold water swim, I eat and drink anything and everything. However, I take daily supplements using Herbalife products. I have done since 1987.
30:Pet hate: People getting in pools without showering first.
31:Biggest thrill: Competing in 2 x FINA World Cup Grand Prix at the age of 45 (Serbia – July 2008 and Mexico – October 2008).
32:Favorite sport besides swimming: Skiing
33:Who would you like to sit next to on a plane: My wife and Son. They are my best friends.
34:Car you drive: BMW Z3.
35:Next swimming challenge: Jersey to France 2009 and Gibraltar Straight (Spain to Africa).
36:Occupation: Company Director.
37:D.O.B. 1963.
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Alby
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