MEET THE SWIMMERS WHO WILL COMPETE IN THE 20TH MANHATTAN ISLAND MARATHON SWIM
Posted online: Thursday, 14 June 2001
NEW YORK, NY, June 13, 2001 --The 30 individual and 48 relay team swimmers in the 20th annual Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (MIMS) on Saturday, June 23, 2001 represent a broad age range (17 to 59) and occupations (doctor to accountant to chemist to journalist). 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 MIMS for the first time.
MIMS is a 28.5 mile course that will begin at 9 a.m. EDTat Gangway Six of Battery Park, go up the East River, through the Harlem River and down the Hudson River back to Battery Park. The winner, who should arrive about 4 p.m. EDT, will receive the Gallagher Cup, named for MIMS founder Drury Gallagher.
The swimmers are from 11 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia, plus Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, England , Guatemala, India , Mexico and Scotland.
Here’s a look at this year’s entrants:
INDIVIDUALS:
Helen Barker, St. Helier, Jersey Channel Islands, England, is 33 and an analytical chemist. Her open water swimming experience includes the Castle-to-Harbour Swim, the JASA Swim and the 41- mile Round Jersey Swim in 2000
Colleen Blair, Birkhill Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom, is 23, and a college student. She has completed swims throughout the United Kingdom, including the Loch Erne in Ireland, the Loch Ness in Scotland, the two-way Windermere in England and the English Channel (21 miles).
Eric Blakeley, St. Saviour, Jersey Channel Islands, England, is 36. He has completed the Castle-to-Harbour Swim, the JASA Swim and 41-mile Round Jersey Swim . He plans to swim the English Channel later this year.
David Blanke, Austin, Texas, is 41 and an attorney. He completed the MIMS 2000 swim in 8:30 and MIMS 1999 in 7:10:55 as well as the 1998 Swim Around Key West (12.5 miles) and the Maui Channel swim in Maui, Hawaii. He plans to swim the English Channel this summer.
John Ceraolo, Coral Springs, FL, is 40, and a manager of an IT security services firm. His has completed the Boston Light Swim, the swim Around Key West and the Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim.
Mark Dempsey, Brooklyn, NY, is 42, and an associate director. He has completed swims locally, including the Little Red Lighthouse Swim and the Cross Bay Swim, Brightwaters, NY.
Igor de Souza, Sao Paolo, Brazil, is 37 and a systems analyst. He completed MIMS in 1998 with a time of 7:43. He has also swum the English Channel and the Atlantic City Marathon (20 miles).
Henry Eckstein, New York, NY, is 53, and a Chief Information Officer. He is a MIMS veteran, having finished the 2000 event in 9:03 and 1999 swim in 7:38:43. He also completed the English Channel last year in a time of 14:24.
Morgan Filler, Seattle, WA, is 25, and is self-employed. She has an impressive swimming resume, including the 25km USA Open Water National Championships, the 25km FINA World Cup, 26km Swim Across the Sound, NY-CT, and the 15km Seal Beach (California) Rough Water Swim National Championship.
Morris Finkelstein, Cos Cob, CT, is 50, and a physician He has completed the La Jolla Rough Water Swim, Great Chesapeake Bay Swim, Swim Across America (Long Island Sound) and the Little Red Lighthouse Swim. He plans to complete the English Channel on a two-way relay team later this year.
Tim Foxen, Minneapolis, MN, is 40, and an energy supply portfolio director. He has completed the Minnesota Open Water Championships, Minnetonka Challenge, Great Chesapeake Bay Swim, and the Race for the River Swim.
Ronald Frias, Atizapan de Zaragoza, Mexico, is 35, and a general manager. He has completed the Maraton Guadalupano for the past two years and the Maraton ABH.
Conor Gunn, London, England, is 28, and a director of project management. He has competed in open water swimming for over 15 years and has completed all of the major swims in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including the Irish Championships and the British Championships. He was part of the first-ever relay to swim across the North Channel from Ireland to Scotland. He completed the English Channel in 9:11 and is the Current Irish record holder for that swim.
Blair Johnson, Glen View, IL, is 42, and a salesman.He has completed several open water swims around the Untied States. After MIMS, he plans to swim the English Channel.
Craig Kandell, New York, NY, is 40, and an editorial and graphic specialist. He completed the MIMS 2000 in 9:18 and in 1999 with a time of 7:44:56. He has also completed the Little Red Lighthouse and Race for the River swims.
Orin McCluskey, New York, NY, is 50 and an investment manager. He completed MIMS in 1999 with a time of 8:45. He has also completed the Swim Around Key West.
Kevin Murphy, Middlesex, England, U.K., is 52 and a broadcast journalist. He has completed three double crossings of the English Channel (42 miles) in 1970, 1975 and 1987. Kevin holds the men’s record for most solo crossings of the English Channel (32).
Tina Neill, St. Paul, MN, is 35 and a college swim coach. She has completed the Lake Mille swim in Minnesota (22 miles), Lake Minnetonka swim (5 miles) and the Au’au Channel swim in Hawaii (10 miles).
Voni Oerman, Englewood, CO, is 40 and a state program supervisor. She has completed many open water swims of 3-5 miles.
Nick Olmos-Lau, Washington, DC, is 55 and a physician-neurologist. He completed MIMS the last two years, posting a time of 7:38 in 1999 and 9:40 in 2000. He completed the Catalina Island swim (21 Miles) in 1999 in 12:40. He also completed the Swim Around Key West. He will be swimming the English Channel in July.
Francisco Rivedeneira, of Quito, Ecuador, is 22 and a student. He has complreted many open water swims across Central and South America.
Kris Rutford, Lincoln, NE, is 41 and a certified public accountant. He has successfully completed MIMS 10 previous times and is a former champion. He holds the men’s record for swimming around Manhattan, at 5:53:57, set in a special race in 1992.
Jose Serra, Cuidad San Cristobal, Guatemala, is 27 and a computer systems consultant. He has completed many open water systems across Guatemala.
Carol Sing, El Cajon, CA, is 59 and retired. She will be the oldest swimmer in MIMS this year and the oldest female ever to attempt MIMS. She successfully completed MIMS in 1998 with a time of 8:45 and has also swum the English Channel and Catalina Channel, CA (21 miles).
Meryem Tangoren-Masood, New York, NY, is 29 and an industrial designer. She completed MIMS last year with a time of 8:45 as well as in 1998. She won the Boston Light swim in 2000 (10 miles). She swam the Potomac River swim twice (7.5miles). Meryem will be swimming the English Channel this summer.
Gerry Teeven, Coral Springs, FL, is 43 and a business executive. He has competed the Swim Around Key West twice ad well as the Little Red Lighthouse Swim.
Kaveri Thakur, Maharastra, India is 17 and a student. She will be the youngest competitor in MIMS this year. She has completed swims in Switzerland, Spain, the United Kingdom and India, including the Straits of Gibraltar and the English Channel.
Nora Toledano Cadena, Mexico City, Mexico, is 31 and a biologist. She completed MIMS in 1995 with a time of 8:09. She has also completed a double crossing og the English Channel and three single crossings.
Cheryl Vega, Hollywood, FL, is 38 and an accountant. She has completed several open water swims of five miles or more across Florida.
Vincent Wallace, Ashley, PA is 38 and a glass maker. He has completed the Atlantic City Marathon and the Little Red Lighthouse Swim, plus smaller swims in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
RELAY TEAMS (six to a team):
Willi Eeters, comprised of six British swimmers, including Alison Streeter, Karl Streeter, Neil Streeter, Lee Sowter, Cy Wiliams and David Williams.
Dirty Half Dozen, comprised of Jeanne Coon, Bonnie Schwartz, Jack Frain, Maddalena Mustillo, Paul Kiell and Alice Alonso.
Le Bateau Ivre (Drunken Boat), comprised of Chris Filippi, David James, Geoff Goldberg, Barry Myrvold, Jill Moberg and Jesse Lansner.
Floating Debris, comprised of Adrien Weindling, Scott Gac, Jeanine Hartnett, Edward O’Donnell, Anthony Squire and Kim Barry.
Team Whatever, comprised of Patrick Mcleroth, Patrick Spearing, Hugo Salhuana, Bill Stergiou, Tracy Gregg and Francine Alfandary.
Les Poissons Volants (Flying Fish), comprised of Oliver Baillet, Vicki Tiase, Sylvie Burlot, Bob Allison, Liz Baer and Lisa Stebbens.
Team Shelley, comprised of Karen Burton Reeder, Tobie Smith, Regan Schrieber, Gail Rice, Tammy Van wisse and Shelley Taylor-Smith (Smith, Rice, van Wisse and Taylor-Smith are all former MIMS individual champions).
Townsend Harris High School, comprised of Se Ho Kong, Michael Mcdermott, Scott Willett, Jonathan Wells, Steve Banalett and Chris O’Leary.
Press Contacts:
Glenn Hintze
(914) 766-3160
Ghintze@us.ibm.com
Faith Armonaitis
(201) 288-6312
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