BUTLER TWP — Bill Wilson has moved a step closer to his goal of swimming across the English Channel.

Wilson, 54, of Butler Township finished 56th out of 186 men overall and fifth out of 26 swimmers ages 50-54 at the 11th annual Alcatraz Invitational Swim held Sept. 30 in San Francisco.

The swim is 1.25 miles across San Francisco Bay to Aquatic Park. Water temperature was 59 degrees and Wilson completed the swim in less than 39 minutes without wearing a wetsuit.

"You're not permitted to wear a wetsuit while swimming the English Channel, so I haven't been wearing one throughout my training,"Wilson said.

Wilson first got the idea to swim the English Channel in 2003, when he swam 16 miles while working out in the Westin Hotel Pool in Pittsburgh. Always a long distance swimmer, he had been into rowing until suffering elbow injuries in a 1993 automobile accident.

"I was hit by a drunk driver and my elbows were damaged to the point that I couldn't row anymore,"Wilson said. "But I could still swim."

The English Channel swim is 20 miles in actual length, but is more like 25 miles when the water current resistance is factored in.

Wilson plans to swim across the Channel in September of 2007. He already met the Channel Swimming Association qualifying standard of swimming six hours in water temperature below 60 degrees by swimming for six hours, six minutes in 56-58 degree water temperature April 29 at Moraine State Park.

Prior to making that swim, Wilson was diagnosed with sleep anea March 2, iron deficiency anemia March 10 and an ulcer in his esophagus March 31.

He completed his qualifying swim in April regardless.

"I listened to the advice of my doctors, took my prescribed medication and headed off on my six-hour swim," he said.

"I'm right on schedule right now (for swimming the Channel). I'm doing weight lifting three days a week now and come January, I'll be swimming 25 to 30 miles per week in training."

Employed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilson plans to retire Aug. 3 of next year.

"Then I'm grabbing my wife by the hand and we're off to England," he said.

Wilson plans to swim the Channel sometime between Sept. 4 and 10. A practice area exists in the Dover area in England where he will swim for six hours one day, then for seven hours another as his English Channel swim approaches.

"They advise you to train by swimming no more than 80 percent of the swim's actual distance,"Wilson said. "The Channel swim is 20 miles, so my training swims have been 16.

"The biggest thing is the sensory deprivation. You have to train yourself to be bored stiff while swimming and I've mastered that."

Wilson estimates his trip to England will cost between $8,000 and $10,000 for renting an escort boat, travel costs and accommodations. He is seeking sponsors and general donations to raise more than that amount.

Wilson hopes to use this swim to give extra money to two charities: The Pump McLaughlin Statue Fund in Butler and Hurricane Katrina Relief.

"I was involved with the Butler YMCAAquatic program for 17 years,"Wilson said. "My son Adam, like hundreds of other swimmers, learned to swim, trained and was coached under the watchful eye of Pump, a great teacher and a wonderful man.

"I had the opportunity to go to New Orleans on disaster duty two weeks after Katrina struck ... I was touched by so many people as I walked along the devastated streets of New Orleans. They still need our help today and for many years to come."

Interested sponsors or anyone wishing to donate may contact Wilson at 116 Limberg Street, Butler, Pa., 16001.

"I'm committed to doing this, even if I don't raise a dime,"Wilson said. "I'll fund the whole thing myself if I have to. I'm just hoping to help out a couple of charities along the way."