Yellowknife (Jan 19/07) - He has stuck his tongue to freezing cold metal for a television show, tried to get into Iraq in 2003 before the Americans attacked for a documentary film and now Matt Frame - this time for charity - claims to have successfully completed a 20 kilometre handcuffed swim off the shores of Cambodia.

Matt Frame

"It was a big event on the beach, hundreds of people came out to cheer me on and it was the party of the year," said Frame from Cambodia on Wednesday. "But I missed it because I was out there swimming."

In addition to shattering his old handcuffed swim world record of 5.8 kilometres, Frame said he raised $2,500 for the Goodwill School for underprivileged children. Yellowknifer could not confirm Frame's swim with the Guiness Book of World Records before press time.

With the average family wage about $40 a month in Cambodia and the life expectancy hovers in the late 40s, so Frame said that by doing the swim and raising the money he feels more at ease with living in such an impoverished place.

"It's not about the record, and being known as the handcuffed swimming record holder is not the legacy I want to leave behind," said Frame.

"The only reason I did it was I knew it would attract attention for the cause and I'm thrilled with the result."

According to Frame, $5 pays for three kids to attend school for a month and the $2,500 he raised would cover the Goodwill School's entire annual budget.

Frame, who has been living in Cambodia since April 2005, said the swim took 16-and-a-half hours to complete.

So how does one swim with handcuffs on?

"The key for me is the fact I've got a real buoyant ass, maybe because my parents are both English," Frame said.

"If you don't have buoyancy you're going to have a tough time, but you end up doing a bit of doggy paddle and kick out with your legs."

As for what's next, Frame said that between bartending and doing some webmastering, he's trying to put some financing together for his latest documentary project, Joebodia.

The focus of the piece is to explore the reasons why Americans, many of them Vietnam veterans, have chosen to live the rest of their lives in Cambodia.

"I may actually come back to Yellowknife as I do need to make some money," he said.

"If there's anybody out there looking for a handcuffed world record holder to work at their convenience store, I'm open to offers."