Chris Dodd: “I congratulate one of my Connecticut constituents, George Brunstad, on an extraordinary achievement. A few weeks ago…”

“I congratulate one of my Connecticut constituents, George Brunstad, on an extraordinary achievement. A few weeks ago, George, a resident of Ridgefield, became the oldest person to swim across the English Channel. George, who celebrated his 70th birthday on August 25, began his record-breaking swim three days later when he left Dover, England shortly after 9 a.m. on Saturday, August 28. He reached Sangatte, on the French coast, after midnight on Sunday, completing the 21-mile stretch in 15 hours and 59 minutes. Prior to George, the oldest person to swim the Channel was Clifford Batts, who was about 100 days shy of his 68th birthday. Let me tell my colleagues a little about George Brunstad. He is a retired Air Force pilot who flew B-52 bombers. For 20 years, he piloted jumbo jets for American Airlines. Currently, he is a swim coordinator for children at the YMCA in Wilton, CT, where he is affectionately known as 'Grandpa George.' George and his wife Judy are active members of the Wilton Baptist Church, where George serves as a Deacon. For 20 years, George has been associated with Pivot Ministries, a group that helps men who are recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. While George was on the swim team in college, he had been away from the sport for 20 years before he saw a sign at the Wilton YMCA advertising competitive swimming for adults. That was 31 years ago, and George Brunstad hasn't stopped swimming since.”