Jon Erikson


Jon Erikson was an American long distance swimmer who was the first of only three people to have ever completed a three way swim of the English Channel. A physical education teacher at the time, he completed the swim in a time of 38 h 27 mins in 1981.


The only other individuals to have completed this feat are Philip Rush, Alison Streeter, Chloe McCardel and Sarah Thomas.
Erikson also completed a two way crossing of the English Channel in 1975 in a time of 30 h 00 mins and again in 1979 in a time of 22 h 16 mins. His total number of successful English Channel swims stands at 11, spanning a period from 1969 to 1981.
Erikson died of an infection on July 28, 2014 in Boca Raton. He was 59.