edition has taken time, and the launch was set back several times as various crew members dropped out and the boats faced mechanical issues.Th

DAKAR, Senegal -- Former British police officer Ben Hooper hopes to make history by swimming every mile of the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to South America. After more than three years of preparation, he set off on Sunday.The 38-year-old walked down a beach in Dakar and into the Atlantic Ocean, launching a swim for 1,635 nautical miles, or nearly 2,000 land miles (3,200 kilometers), from Senegal to Brazil.This is for my daughter, said Hooper, who filled a water bottle with sand to keep for the 8-year-old who he said inspired the swim. Its been a long time coming.Flanked by two boats and a crew of less than a dozen, Hooper aims to be the first person to swim every mile of the Atlantic Ocean from continent to continent, stepping on land again in March.He says he trained three years as he gathered a crew for the Big Blue, the main boat on which he will eat and sleep when he is not swimming for about eight hours each day through waters infested with sharks and jellyfish.Water has loomed large in his life.I nearly drowned when I was 5 in a swimming pool in Belgium, Hooper told The Associated Press. Ever since ... Ive had this affinity with water. It was the calmest Ive ever felt.Hooper said he had a bout of depression about 3 1/2 years ago and decided to turn his life around for his daughter. So he looked to water.Nobody had swum a full ocean. More people have landed on the moon than have tried this, so at that point I thought maybe this is my calling, said Hooper. If I can inspire myself, other people and raise money for charity, why not do it?Inspired by British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Hooper said he hopes to motivate others, especially children, to swim.Funding for the expedition has taken time, and the launch was set back several times as various crew members dropped out and the boats faced mechanical issues.This will be a major achievement overall, said Nigel Taylor-Schofield, the captain of Big Blue. If anybody can accomplish this, it would be Ben. He is very determined.The crew, including a paramedic, will track the miles, and Hooper has said if he gets to Brazil with the help of currents, he will swim until he fulfills the full Atlantic mileage.The challenges, be it marine life, dehydration, and more, will be vast, but Hooper says his biggest fear is letting the team and his daughter down. Hell listen to a playlist on customized earphones that he said will include eurotrash music, Eminem and The Scripts Hall of Fame. Hooper will also wear various gear that helps camouflage him from sharks, and a tracking device so supporters can follow his nearly five-month swim online.Around 10:30 a.m. on the beach outside the Monaco Plage hotel in Dakar, Hooper and the crew were ready.See you in Brazil, he said, before eventually swimming off into the sunlit waters toward his goal.---http://www.swimthebigblue.com/--Follow Carley Petesch on Twitter at www.twitter.com/carleypetesch Steve Grogan Jersey . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. Tom Brady Womens Jersey . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. https://www.patriotssportsgoods.com/Womens-Julian-Edelman-Inverted-Jersey/ . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. Stephon Gilmore Youth Jersey . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. Tedy Bruschi Womens Jersey . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. LUBBOCK, Texas -- The last time West Virginia came to play at Texas Tech as a ranked team, the Mountaineers got trounced by 35 points.On Saturday, the Red Raiders will aim for a repeat of 2012, when they toppled the fifth-ranked Mountaineers. This year West Virginia is ranked No. 20 and unbeaten.Theyre a good team, Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said. Dana (Holgorsen) does a good job schematically week in week out to try to take advantage of what youre doing defensively.Holgorsen and Kingsbury met more than 15 years ago, when the Mountaineers coach worked for former Red Raiders coach Mike Leach and Kingsbury was the teams quarterback.Kliff knows what hes doing, Holgorsen said of the fourth-year coach. Hes going to get those guys ready to go and we have our work cut out for us on defense.The Mountaineers (4-0, 0-0 Big 12) have had two weeks to prepare, having a bye week after a 17-16 home win Oct. 1 over Kansas State. The Red Raiders (3-2, 1-1) are coming off a 44-38 loss to the Wildcats last week.At least Texas Tech doesnt have to be concerned about kicker Josh Lambert, who in 2014 hit a career-long, 55-yard field goal as time expired in Lubbock to give West Virginia a 37-34 victory. Holgorsen announced this week -- without explanation or further comment -- that Lambert, who missed the first three games due to a suspension, was no longer with the team.A few more things to look for when Texas Tech hosts West Virginia:MAHOMES AND HIS RECEIVERSJunior QB Patrick Mahomes, who leads the nation in passing yards per game (454.8), has plenty of receivers to pick from in the Red Raiders pass-heavy offense. Seven of them -- Jonathan Giles leads the league and the corps in receiving yards per game (122.8) -- have caught at least 11 passes for a combined 2,125 yards. Mahomes, who has passed for 20 TDs and run for seven more, has a great grasp of his offense, Mountaineers defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said. He understands getting rid of the ball, Gibson said.dddddddddddd He puts it in the right place at the right time. He lets his wideouts work for him, and when he wants to throw it over the top he can do that as well. He is so big, you have guys falling off of him, and he keeps plays alive.RUSHING MOUNTAINEERSWest Virginia, the Big 12s fifth-ranked rushing offense (187.2 ypg), will face the leagues sixth-ranked rushing defense (179.4 ypg). Junior RB Justin Crawford ranks fifth in the Big 12 with 331 yards on 60 carries, averaging 82.8 ypg. This year the Mountaineers have run the ball 52 percent of the time (164 of 315 plays). Kingsbury figures the Mountaineers will run the ball often. Last year they ran it, I think, 57 times versus us, he said. So Ive known hes been doing that the last three or four years.PENALTY PROBLEMSTexas Tech was flagged for five 15-yard penalties -- including one that erased a TD -- in its loss last week. It wasnt unusual, though. The Red Raiders rank 121st in the nation in penalty yards per game, having committed 48 penalties in five games to average 80.2 ypg. Weve really been stopping ourselves with penalties, making it third and 15, third and 20, and then thats a hard position to be in, WR Cameron Batson said. So we have to cut out the penalties and be more disciplined.RED ZONE FACEOFFTexas Tech is nearly twice as efficient in scoring touchdowns once inside the red zone than the Mountaineers. The Red Raiders have connected for TDs 26 of the 32 times theyve been there (81 percent), while West Virginia has found the end zone on just eight of 18 trips inside opponents 20-yard line (44 percent). The guys have to score, Holgorsen said. Were moving the ball. Were averaging a lot of yards. We have to score more, period.---Follow Betsy Blaney on Twitter at www.twitter.com/betsyblaney---Online: AP College Football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '