Tom's of Maine swims the English Channel!

George at his pool in Wilton, CT. (Photo courtesy of George Brunstad)

We know our mouthwash tastes refreshing, but we never realized how useful its cleansing properties could be for a long-distance swimmer until we talked to George Brunstad. On August 28-29, 2004, at the age of 70, Mr. Brunstad became the oldest man ever to swim the English Channel—and he relied on Tom's of Maine mouthwash to rinse the saltwater from his mouth and help it stay clean and fresh during his 16 hour feat!

A Time magazine profile of George Brunstad in February 2005 inspired us to contact him and learn more about his adventures. Naturally, getting the inside scoop on our mouthwash's "starring role" in his successful Channel crossing motivated us just a little bit, too!

Brunstad, a National and World Masters swimming champion who also relishes the challenge of open-water swimming, remembers dreaming one night about being in his 90s and regretting that he hadn't swum the English Channel, the "Mt. Everest" of open-water swims. He announced his intentions at his 69th birthday party in 2003, to the applause of everyone but his wife, Judy. Initially opposed to the idea of his performing such a challenge simply for the glory, she came around to her husband's point of view when he explained how they could use the event to raise money for charity. George and Judy had recently visited Center for Hope, an organization in Hinche, Haiti, which aims to build a church, orphanage, school, and medical clinic for residents. George dedicated his swim to Center for Hope, raising $11,000 prior to the swim and over $50,000 since then.

Brunstad trained for a year, following an ambitious routine of swimming, weightlifting, and cold water swim practice in Long Island Sound. For three weeks, he swam off Harpswell Neck near Brunswick here in Maine, sometimes going for up to eight hours a day. He even took cold showers all winter to help get accustomed to cold temperatures!

After the grueling training, George was finally ready to attempt the challenge of his life. At 9:13 a.m. on August 28, 2004, greased up with a combination of Vaseline and lanolin to prevent jellyfish stings and chafing, he set off from Abbot's Cliff, south of Dover, England—just three days after his 70th birthday.

His routine for the next 16 hours was simple. Every 30 minutes, he'd stop, float on his back, and take a nutrient drink and plain water from a squeeze bottle on a rope dangled to him from the ship accompanying him. Every two hours or so he'd freshen his mouth with 1/2 Tom's of Maine Cinnamint Cleansing Mouthwash and 1/2 water in the squeeze bottle.

George didn't feel any aches or pains during the swim itself, and kept his mind occupied by focusing on inspirational sayings (Eleanor Roosevelt: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams") and hymns (such as "Onward Christian Soldier" and "How Great Thou Art"), replaying the movie Chariots of Fire in his head, and gaining encouragement from his cheering section in the boat. Once night fell, he attached a light stick to his cap so the crew could keep track of him in the dark, moonlit water.

Finally, the French shore—Sangatte Beach, south of Calais—came into view, and George's hand hit sand. He walked up onto the beach with his arms held up in a "Rocky" pose, and to his surprise, 12 French people were waiting on the beach to congratulate him. It was 2:12 a.m. French time on the morning of August 29, and after 15 hours and 59 minutes in the water, George had just become the oldest person ever to swim the English Channel.

When we spoke to George about his swim, we wanted to know more about how Tom's of Maine products fit into his life. He told us that he'd started using Tom's toothpaste and mouthwash in the Air Force while stationed in New England. "Tom's and I get along because we have the same philosophy: natural, healthy, no harmful chemicals," he says. George also shares our passion for community involvement. He teaches swimming to children five days a week at the YMCA in Wilton, CT, and the highlight is always the play session after the lesson. Not only does everyone get lots of laughs imitating dolphins or sharks and making waves, but "Grandpa George" gets a great upper body workout from throwing the kids around in the water!

George's favorite Tom's of Maine toothpaste is the Peppermint Antiplaque Tartar Control plus Whitening. And his favorite mouthwash? Well, who knew that Cinnamint Cleansing Mouthwash could help someone swim the English Channel? Thanks, George, for choosing us—we're proud of you!