Reports of an approaching typhoon did not seem to daunt Taiwanese long-distance swimmer Wang Han (
Wang added, however, that he would continue to monitor weather reports today and might consider postponing the swim a day, depending on the situation. The event may possibly be postponed for a week if the situation gets worse.
"But we are confident that the plan will go on as scheduled," he said.
The team consists of 32 members, that include 16 Taiwanese swimmers, 12 from China and four from South Africa.
The team is scheduled to start from Tamsui's Fishermen's Wharf tomorrow.
The team will swin day and night for four days. The swimmers are expected to arrive in Matsu next Tuesday if everything proceeds smoothly.
If the team fails to achieve its goal, it plans to try again next month.
The announcement was made yesterday at a press conference attended by the swimmers and Taiwanese track and field star Chi Cheng (
Chi has been a strong supporter of Wang's endeavors since Wang swam across the Strait of Gibraltar in 1986. Since then, Wang has successfully swum across 12 straits around the world.
"He [Wang] is a true hero; he risks his life in order to achieve his goal," she said.
The 32 swimmers come from all walks of life, including chefs, stock brokers and students.
Salina Chen (陳培溫), who turns 16 this year, is the youngest participant on the team. She just got accepted to Nangang Senior High School.
"I saw the news on TV in April and thought it would be fun," she told the Taipei Times. "And I decided to register for the event immediately afterward."
After passing a physical exam in May, Chen went through three months of rigorous training.
Chen recalled being stung by jellyfish during training and was asked to swim from the coast of Keelung County to Keelung Islet (基隆嶼), a small island that is located along the northern shore of Taiwan.
"Sometimes I was so exhausted that I thought about quitting," she said. "But I can say that I have been a part of a great challenge if I manage to pull this off."
Wang said the young swimmers did not receive any special treatment during training.
Besides the physical training, swimmers were also taught to understand the ocean, the currents and how to protect themselves from sharks.
He added that the most challenging part of the swim was the Taiwan Strait's choppy seas.
"The best time to swim is when both the southwest front and the seasonal wind from the northwest subside," he said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
The age requirement for commercial pilots and airline transport pilots is to be lowered by two years, to 18 and 21 years respectively, to expand the pool of pilots in accordance with international standards, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced today. The changes are part of amendments to articles 93, 119 and 121 of the Regulations Governing Licenses and Ratings for Airmen (航空人員檢定給證管理規則). The amendments take into account age requirements for aviation personnel certification in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and EU’s aviation safety regulations, as well as the practical needs of managing aviation personnel licensing, the ministry said. The ministry
RSS