Paul Hopfensperger | |
|---|---|
 Hopfensperger in 2008 | |
| Suffolk County Councillor for Tower Division | |
| In office 5 May 2005 – 4 June 2009 | |
| Preceded by | New Seat |
| Succeeded by | Mark Ereira-Guyer |
| West Suffolk District Councillor for St Olaves Ward | |
| In office 2 May 2019 – 4 May 2023 | |
| Preceded by | New Seat |
| Succeeded by | Frank Stennett |
| St Edmundsbury Borough Councillor for St Olaves Ward | |
| In office 5 May 2011 – 2 May 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Ereira-Guyer |
| Succeeded by | Seat Abolished |
| Bury St Edmunds Town Councillor for St Olaves Ward | |
| In office 5 May 2016 – 4 May 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Cockle |
| Succeeded by | Frank Stennett |
| Bury St Edmunds Town Councillor for Eastgate Ward | |
| In office 6 June 2003 – 6 June 2006 | |
| Preceded by | New Seat |
| Succeeded by | Pat Warby |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 March 1963 |
| Political party | Independent (2008–2019) |
| Other political affiliations | Conservative (Before 2008) |
| Spouse | Rebecca (Beccy) |
| Alma mater | The Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology (now Anglia Ruskin University) |
| Website | website |
| Nickname | Hoffy |
Paul Hopfensperger (born 1963) is a former British Open Water Swimmer, Musician, bestselling Author, charity fundraiser and former Independent Politician.
Early life
During his youth he was a competitive swimmer representing his home town of Bury St Edmunds and the County of Suffolk, including captaining the Bury St Edmunds Swimming Club ('The Bury Beavers') on three occasions between 1978 and 1981. He is a Mechanical and Computer Software Engineer, running his own IT business in the town.
Swimming career
He has completed two solo crossings of The English Channel in 2007 and 2008[1] (the 84th person in history to do so) one relay (2010) as part of the six person 'Team Iryna International English Channel Relay Team'[2]
His first swim in 2007 was relayed live from the English Channel by on board reporter Jon Wright for BBC Radio Suffolk. Updates were broadcast throughout the day for the duration of the 13 hour 52 minute swim.[3] It also featured in the first episode of the Emmy nominated Discovery Channel documentary Human Body: Pushing the Limits.
In 2008 he competed at two FINA Open Water Grand Prix[4], becoming oldest known person to represented Great Britain at Open Water swimming.[5]
Political career
He unsuccessfully stood for election to St Edmundsbury Borough Council in 1999 and 2003 (losing by just 5 votes) before before being co-opted onto the newly formed Bury St Edmunds Town Council at it's second ever meeting in June 2003, before being elected to Suffolk County Council in 2005 as a Conservative. However in February 2008 he quit the party over it's policy to abolish the county's middle schools.[6] A month later he received a police caution under the Representation of the People Act during a by election for Bury St Edmunds Town Council.[7][8]
He unsuccessfully ran for re-election in 2009 in Hardwick, before winning a seat on St Edmundsbury Borough Council in 2011 which he held until 2023, by which time St Edmundsbury had merged with Forest Heath to become West Suffolk District Council.[9]
In the 2017 general election he nominated to run for Bury St Edmunds constituency[10] but he withdrew before the election. He did run in 2019 finishing 4th (of 4 candidate) with 2.7% of the vote.
In 2021 he heavily criticized the post Brexit trading arrangements as a "complete and utter disaster". He would go on to say "If anyone tells me 'we knew what we were voting for' I say to them you certainly didn't know what you were voting for."[11]
Elections contested
UK Parliament elections
| Date of election | Constituency | Party | Votes | % | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Bury St Edmunds | Independent | 1,694 | 2.7 | Not elected (4th) | |
County Council elections
| Date of election | Division | Party | Votes | % | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Tower Division | Conservative | 2,747 | 28.3 | Elected | |
| 2009 | Hardwick Division | Independent | 824 | 28.8 | Not elected (2nd) | |
| 2013 | Hardwick Division | Independent | 737 | 27.7 | Not elected (2nd) | |
| 2017 | Tower Division | Independent | 1,623 | 20.3 | Not elected (3rd) | |
District Council elections
| Date of election | Ward | Party | Votes | % | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Southgate Ward | Conservative | 744 | 48.1 | Not elected (2nd) | |
| 2011 | St Olaves Ward | Independent | 421 | 33.6 | Elected | |
| 2015 | St Olaves Ward | Independent | 835 | 37.8 | Elected | |
| 2019 | St Olaves Ward | Independent | 680 | 50.9 | Elected | |
Personal life
His wife Rebecca is currently a West Suffolk and Suffolk County Council councillor.
In 2010 he appeared on the quiz show Eggheads where he captained a team of 6 English Channel swimmers called "Channel Buoys and Gulls".
During the COVID pandemic, he co-authored a book called “Bringing Value, Solving Problems and Leaving a Legacy” which became an International #1 Amazon Bestseller. He also released a song entitled 'Just Keep Swimming Until You Get To France!' based on his experience of swimming the Channel, which also hit number one on the Amazon chart.[12]
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Home in England | Himself | 30 Minute BBC Documentary featuring his late Father Johann Hopfensperger |
| 2008 | Human Body: Pushing the Limits | Himself - English Channel Swimmer | Episode 1: "Strength"[13] |
| 2010 | Eggheads (game show) | Himself - Captain of an English Channel Swimmers team. | Series 11, Episode 73, 'Channel Buoys and Gulls'[14][15] |
References
- ^ "Councillor plans new channel challenge". eadt.co.uk. East Anglian Daily Times. 8 August 2007. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Paul Hopfensperger - Channel swimmer". dover.uk.com. Dover.UK. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ Jon Wright (2 July 2007). "Absolutely fantastic". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Paul Hopfensperger - Athlete". worldaquatics.com. World Aquatics. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Paul Hopfensperger Swimming Achievements 2008" (PDF). bodyandmindstudio.co.uk. Body and Mind Studio. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Top Tory quits in middle schools protest". eadt.co.uk. East Anglian Daily Times. 14 February 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Laurence Cawley (28 April 2008). "Leading councillor given police caution". eadt.co.uk. East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Candidate receives police caution". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 28 April 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ Rhoda Morrison (6 October 2019). "Deputy mayor of Bury St Edmunds Cllr Paul Hopfensperger accuses town council of breaking the rules". suffolknews.co.uk. Iliffe Media Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF). West Suffolk Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 May 2017.
- ^ Dan Barker (22 March 2021). "Brexit trade deal branded 'complete and utter disaster' by Bury St Edmunds councillor". suffolknews.co.uk. Iliffe Media Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ Rhoda Morrison (1 October 2021). "Bury St Edmunds councillor Paul Hopfensperger celebrates two Amazon #1 best-sellers with co-authored book and song". suffolknews.co.uk. Iliffe Media Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "IMDb "Human Body: Pushing the Limits" Strength (TV Episode 2008)". IMDb.com, Inc. 2 March 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "ABC Television Australia - Eggheads - Channel Buoys and Gulls". abc.net.au. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Hoffy Swims - Swimming Blog". Paul Hopfensperger. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2024.