How Swimming Saved Actor Jason Statham’s Life
For many in our community, we take our ability to swim for granted. We swim to have fun, make friends, and challenge our bodies and minds. It’s easy to forget how important a skill swimming is.
Action film superstar Jason Statham recently opened up about how swimming saved his life. During stunt preparation for the movie The Expendables 3, Statham was driving a truck that was heading toward the ocean, when its brakes failed. The truck crashed through a barrier and then plunged into the water, where it sunk somewhere from 15-30 feet.
Although there was an open window for Statham to escape from, a gun holster he was wearing got snagged on the truck He began to panic, but then was able to calm himself and break free, and swim to the surface.
Statham is not unfamiliar to the water. He once represented England in the 1990 Commonwealth Games as a diver. His co-star in the movie, Sylvester Stallone, said of Statham, “If anyone else had been in that truck we would have been dead because we were all wearing heavy boots and gun belts. But because Jason is an Olympic-quality diver he got out of it.”
Since the experience, Statham, a father who is engaged to be married, says he has been “so appreciative of life and being able to walk on the ground.”
Odyssey Open Water Swimming provides unique open water swimming experience for swimmers of all levels of experience. We have instructors on-site to assist if needed and kayakers to provide safety to swimmers. If looking to get started swimming in the open water, join us for an upcoming weekly Berkeley swim. Learn more and join us here.