On 12 August 1872, Captain Matthew Webb stood on the English shore and covered himself with porpoise oil before setting off to attempt to be the first person to swim the English Channel. Webb swam breaststroke as no Englishman would be caught dead swimming the new 'freestyle' stroke. It was considered “violent and grotesque.” When Webb was just over halfway, a storm hit the Channel. It appeared once again the Channel would never be conquered. Titus has a live show in Melbourne on 7 June. You can get tickets here. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTube See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.