Dave and Rush are swimming for the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes

Two men are participating in an challenge of a lifetime to help raise money in support of severely wounded veterans. David Broyles graduated from the University of Texas in 2001. He joined the military after September 11th as a pararescueman, and is a veteran of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Rush Vann graduated from the University of Texas in 2002 and is an Infantry Officer in the 19th Special Forces Group, Army National Guard.

Their quest is to swim across the Strait of Gibraltar, from Spain to Morocco; crossing continents as well from Europe to Africa. They are participating in this adventure to honor the service and sacrifice of America's newest disabled veterans by raising awareness and $100,000 for their critical needs.

The charity they are swimming for is called The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes. The mission of this charity is to provide an easy and meaningful way for individuals, corporations, and others to help our severly wounded and disabled veterans and their families rebuild their lives.

"Unfortunately, government programs are under-funded and ill equipped to handle the large number of disabled service memebrs returning from Afhanistan an Iraq. That is why your donation to provate charities such as the Coalition are so vitally important; they ensure all our disabled veterans who need help receive it," says David and Rush.

The swim distance across the strait is roughly 18-22 kilometers, or about 12.5 statute miles and depending on sea conditions and swimmer stamina should take between 4 and 7 hours. Swimmers may wear a swim cap, eyewear, earplugs, grease, and a luminous device during the night.

They will have to deal many hazards along their journey. Water temperatures will probably be somewhere in the 60's. To fight against the cold they can protect their bodies with grease, leaving their hands and face clean to act as temperature sensors. Along with this hazard you get other types of hazards including the strong winds that the strait is known for having, the various types of ships that will be passing by, as the Strait of Gibraltar is one of the busiest martime zones in the world, and the sea life that inhibits the strait (sharks, killer whales, and jellyfish to name a few.)

To donate to their great cause you can check out their firstgiving page at www.firstgiving.com/swimthestrait06

To see more about these 2 men you can check out their personal website at www.swimthestrait06.com