Channeling a Legacy

LOCAL LANDSCAPE DESIGNER TO SWIM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL

The Chazen Companies (TCC) proudly announce that a Landscape Designer in their Troy office, Kelvin Webster, will attempt to swim across the English Channel this coming September in memory of his grandfather. Since 2003, Kelvin, a former high school swimmer and current member of the Adirondack Bluefins Master’s Program in Troy, has been vigorously training for the opportunity of a lifetime. To date just over 1,000 people have accomplished this feat, compared to the 2,400 that have climbed Mr. Everest.

Kelvin was born in Birmingham, England where he lived till the age of 9. After nearly drowning at 2 years old, Kelvin’s parents quickly involved him in swimming lessons to remove any fear of the water. Since then, the 28 year old has spent much of his life competing at different levels of swimming and is currently training 6 days a week for the September 20th Channel swim. Swimming nearly 40,000 meters per week (or just under 25 miles), Kelvin remains dedicated to accomplishing this extraordinary goal.

In addition to his rigorous training schedule, Kelvin has maintained his full-time position with TCC for nearly two years as a Landscape Designer. With TCC’s full support, Kelvin has been encouraged in his pursuit of accomplishing this swim. “I believe I speak for the masses in saying we feel fortunate to call him a member of our team,” said TCC Director of Landscape Architecture Andy Rymph. “Kelvin’s strong will and conviction are valuable traits that we all should admire and strive for.”

TCC is pleased to be one of Kelvin’s sponsors, as participating in this event is costly. Kelvin is raising funds not only to cover the cost of this venture, but also to benefit the New England Hearing Rehabilitation Center (NECHEAR). NECHEAR provides financial assistance to children in need of audiological services who cannot afford them. Additional information regarding this charity as well as Kelvin’s English Channel swim can be found at www.kelvinchannelswim.com/kelvin.html.

Helping staff create a balance in their professional and personal objectives is a hallmark of The Chazen Companies. For more than 60 years, TCC has provided professional services to a wide variety of municipal and private development clients throughout the Northeast. The firm’s engineers, landscape architects, surveyors, planners and environmental scientists serve clients from five offices—Troy, Glens Falls, Poughkeepsie and Newburgh, New York, as well as Waterford, Connecticut.