Ben Kramer, who hails from British Columbia, was autistic as a child and didn't speak until the age of 10. Now an accomplished athlete, he swims around Manhattan annually to raise awareness of autism for the New York Families for Autistic Children. Autism, still a mysterious neurological condition, is thought to afflict 1.5 million adults and children in America today. Kramer has now swum around Manhattan 18 times, regularly drawing supportive honks and slack-jawed awe from passing motorists.
Although he has swum everywhere from Israel to Brazil, Kramer particularly enjoys swimming around Manhattan for the sights of subway cars and bridges. In 2002, one spectator compared Kramer's feat to strongman contests, then adding, 'But this guy had them all beat to hell.' When he's not swimming, Kramer likes to scale fir trees to feed and photograph bald eagles. To this day, he prefers not to wear shoes.