ASU Grad Has Realized His Dream
On July 4 2017, Willie Schulz successfully made his swim across the English Channel
By Carol L. Allen with Kathy Schulz
It is with great pleasure that we send heartfelt congratulations to Willie Schulz, an ASU graduate, who swam across the English Channel on July 4 of this year. Schulz is married to Kathy (nee Charles), daughter of Joan and Dale Charles of Tempe, Ariz.
Shulz grew up in Ketchikan, Alaska, and moved to Tempe in 1984 to attend Arizona State University; he left the state for California in 1997. Schulz and his family (his wife and three children) now live Ketchikan.
When the Shulzes lived in the San Diego area, Willie began distance swimming on a USA swim club team and started ocean swimming in 1997.
Although shoulder issues prevented him from completing his first attempt at the Channel in 2014 (he made it 16 miles), he vowed to return and try again.
Now, in 2017, Willie has definitely earned his success, swimming from Shakespeare’s Beach in Dover, England, to Strouann Beach, just south of Wissant, France. Willie trained on his own, with support from physical therapy to help his shoulder problems.
Next on this ambitious swimmer’s list is to swim around Manhattan, a total of 26 miles.
Schulz lists past swim successes as the following:
- In 2002, he swam the Catalina Channel, a total of 21 miles;
- In 2001, he swam for the American Diabetes Association in La Jolla Cove, Calif., a distance of 10 miles;
- In 2000, he swam from Alcatraz to Chrissy Field, a total of three miles, and
- Every year for the past eleven years, he has swum around Pennock Island, Ketchikan, a total of 8.5 miles.
