MEET THE 1998 MANHATTAN MARATHON SWIM COMPETITORS
Posted online: Thursday, 02 July 1998
The 22 individual and 30 relay team swimmers in the July 11 MIMS represent a broad age range (from 17 to 63) and occupations (veterinarian to forensic chemist to accountant). But they all share a common love of distance swimming and have competed in other open water swims prior to challenging the MIMS. The majority of them are participating in the MIMS for the first time. Here's a look at this year's entrants:
INDIVIDUAL SWIMMERS
Duncan Adamson, of Stamford, CT is 28 and a client service manager. He completed the MIMS last year and has also won three mini-triathlons. He swam the first-ever 7.8 mile Little Red Lighthouse Swim from the George Washington Bridge to Chelsea Piers (Pier 62) on June 20 as a tune-up to MIMS.
Jay Benner, of Tacoma, WA is 33 and a swim coach. He has competed in many open water swims.
J.C. (Buz) Brenton, of Des Moines, is 63, the oldest competitor in the field. A retired bank president, he completed the 1990 MIMS and has also swum the 21-mile English Channel and the 12.5 mile Around the Island swim in Coronado, CA.
Scott Coleman, of Boca Raton, FL, is 44 and a real estate investor. He swam the English Channel in 1996 and completed the Swim Around Key West (12.5 miles) in 1994 and 1996.
Chris Derks, of Miami, FL is 28 and a forensic chemist. He completed the Atlantic City Ocean Marathon (10 miles) in 1995 and the USS 25 kilometer nationals each year from 1995-97.
Igor De Souza, of Mexico, is 34 and a systems analyst. He successfully swam the English Channel in 1997.
Kieran Fitzgerald, of Ireland, is 35 and a food company sales manager. He swam the English Channel in 1994 and has completed marathon swims through the Straits of Gibraltar and off the coast of Ireland.
Missie Hersey, of Richmond, VA, is 50 and the owner of a picture-framing business. She completed the Swim Around Key West in 1991 and the Chesapeake Bay swim (6.5 miles) in 1989.
Benn Kramer, of West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is 41 and a property manager. He is a real veteran of MIMS, having completed it 13 times previously!
Fausta Moreno, of Mexico, is 40 and a postal employee. She has completed many open water marathon swims of at least five miles in Mexico, including the Guadalupino marathon.
Toshio Ogawa, of Kanagawa, Japan, is 43 and a furniture maker. He has completed many open water swims of at least five miles in Japan.
Sarah Rice, of Miami Shores, FL, is a 17-year-old high school student and the youngest swimmer in the field. Her mother, Gail Rice, won the MIMS in 1995 and finished second (first among women) in 1996. Sarah completed the Swim Around Key West in 1996 and 1997.
Michael Ross, of New York, NY, is 50 and the owner of a health club. He has completed many mini-marathons and says that turning 50 motivated him to test himself by attempting the MIMS.
Kris Rutford, of Lincoln, NB, is 38 and a certified public accountant. As mentioned, he is a two-time MIMS champion. He holds the men's record for the swim of 5 hous, 53 minutes, 57 seconds (5:53:57) which he accomplished in the 1992 swim.
Carol Sing, of El Cajon, CA is 56 and a recreation therapy aide. She completed the Around the Island Swim in California each year from 1993-95.
Meryem Tangoren, of New York, NY, is 26 and an industrial designer. She has completed several triathlon events.
Shelley Taylor-Smith, of Sydney, Australia, is 36 and a motivational speaker. As mentioned, she is a four-time MIMS champion and the world record holder for swimming around Manhattan.
Jamie Tout, of Austin, TX, is 44 and a revenue agent with the IRS. He has completed seven previous MIMS and has also swum the English Channel.
Oliver Turner, of Fort Collins, CO, is 27 and a veterinarian. He completed the 1994 MIMS, swam the English Channel in 1995 and has completed numerous marathons in England, Ireland and Wales.
Peter Urrea, of San Francisco, CA, is 58 and a pharmaceutical research project manager. He completed the 1994 MIMS and the English Channel in 1996.
Gerald Vance, of Westmont, NJ, is 55 and a school bus driver and lifeguard. He has completed the Chesapeake Bay swim.
Larry Weiss, of Lubbock, TX, is 50 and self-employed. He completed the 1989 and 1992 MIMS.
RELAY TEAMS
Badger Swim Club, based in New York City and Westchester County, includes captain Anthony Reino, Tobie Smith, Chris Fleizach, Stephen Savage, Boris Talan and Jon Wilkinson.
Berkeley Aquatics, based in New Jersey, includes captain Rich Callaghan, Tiffany Sawin, Curtis Sawin, Jeff Jotz, Rob Copeland and Brandon Muffley.
Bonita Bonitos, based in New York City, includes captain Abigail Falk, Amity Hall, Janet Harris, Patti O'brien, Phyllis Springer and Julie Walsh.
Mamas and Papas, based in New York City, includes captain Patti Robison, Roy Geronomous, Jon Einsidler, Karen Einsidler, Julie Burnett and Robert Valentin.
Team Chiropractic, from northern New Jersey, includes captain Rob DiStefano, Greg Thompson, Chris Gephardt, Jan Wanklyn, David Groeneveld and Ira Wolf. |
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