MEET THE SWIMMERS - 21st MANHATTAN ISLAND MARATHON SWIM
Posted online: Tuesday, 18 June 2002
NEW YORK, NY, June 18, 2002 --The 14 individual and 36 relay team swimmers in the 21st annual Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (MIMS) on Sunday, June 23, 2002 represent a broad age range (20 to 71) and occupations (doctor to accountant to chemist to journalist). But they all share a common love of distance swimming. The majority of the competitors are undertaking the MIMS challenge for the first time.
MIMS is a 28.5 mile swim course. The swimmers will start at 6:30 a.m. EDT at South Cove in Battery Park City, go up the East River, through the Harlem River and down the Hudson River back to Battery Park. The winner, who should arrive about 1 p.m. EDT, will receive the Gallagher Cup, named for MIMS founder Drury Gallagher.
Here's a look at this year's entrants:
INDIVIDUALS:
Gilles Chalandon, New York, NY is 45 and works in sales for John Rosselli in NYC. Gilles is from France and has been living in NYC for 14 years. He was inspired to do the swim by Mark Dempsey, a 2001 MIMS finisher and training partner.
Ron Collins, Clearwater, FL is 40 and a consultant for Distance Matters, Inc. Ron organizes and has swum in the 24 Mile Tampa Bay Marathon Swim. After Manhattan, Ron plans on swimming the English Channel.
Henry Eckstein, New York, NY is 54, and a Chief Information Officer. He is a MIMS veteran, having finished the 2001 event in 08:59, the 2000 event in 9:03 and the 1999 swim in 7:38:43. Henry swam the English Channel in 2000 in a time of 14:24.
Becky Jackman, La Mesa, CA is 38 and a Recreation Supervisor for the City of La Mesa. Becky will have on her crew Carol Sing, who last year became the oldest MIMS finisher at the age of 59. Becky is planning on tackling the English Channel in 2003.
Andrew Johnson, Arlington, VA is 37 and a Consultant with PWC Consulting. An accomplished open-water swimmer, Andrew plans on swimming the English Channel in 2004.
Terry Laughlin, New Paltz, NY is 51 and the founder and Head Coach of Total Immersion Swimming. Terry has championed a "fishlike" approach that has revolutionized how swimming is taught on all levels, from Olympic hopefuls to casual swimmers. Terry's crew is led by champion swimmer and 1972 Olympic-medallist Shane Gould.
Rachel Luch, Chester, NY, at age 20 is this year's youngest competitor. Rachel is a student at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, where she is captain of the swim team.
Michael Maier, Ellington, CT, 40, is a printer pressman at Allied Printing Services of Manchester, CT. Michael is also an accomplished runner, having completed the 2002 Boston Marathon in 3:11. Michael's future plans include taking on the English Channel.
Maddalena Mustillo, Union, NJ is 22 and a student at Kean University, where she was a record-breaking swimmer and MVP of the swim team. Maddalena swam MIMS last year as part of a relay.
Bonnie Schwartz, New York, NY is 23. Bonnie is a 2001 graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a degree in Economics. Following MIMS, Bonnie plans on attempting the Alcatraz "Sharkfest" Swim in August.
Thomas Schwartz of Sarasota, FL, 42 is a Physician with Eye Care Associates in Sarasota. Thomas has completed a swim around Key West and trains with Rick Walker, who completed MIMS in 2000.
Chris Solarz, New York, NY is 23. Chris is an accomplished swimmer and Ironman triathlete, having completed Ironman Switzerland and a 15-kilometer English Channel "Swimathon" in Kensington, Australia in 2000.
Emily Watts, Manchester, MD is 34. Emily has previously completed the Tampa Bay Marathon and the Atlantic City Marathon, and plans to conquer the English Channel within the next two years.
Scott Zornig, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA is 42 and Director of Sales with ADT in Irvine, CA. Last year Scott set a record of 5:19:27 for swimming the Anapaca Island to the Coast of California.
RELAY TEAMS (four or six to a team):
The Asphalt Green (AGUA) Fish Gang team is named in honor of Andrew Fisher and Doug Irgang, two New York City swimmers who were lost in the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. The relay is comprised of Andrew's and Doug's friends and teammates, Patti Robison, R. Christian Vergara, Joanne Colaneri, Virginia Somma-Guido, Bobby Allison and Michael Dempsey
The Tri-State Trout team includes Leonard Jansen, Shawn Hendrickson, Richard Wallace and solo MIMS veteran Don Walsh.
The Himajin (a Japanese term for people who have too much time on their hands and do unusual stunts) is comprised of MIMS relay veterans Jill Moberg, Scott Gac, Barry Myrvold and Christopher Filippi.
Jelly Fish, comprised of David James, Paul Kiell, Andrea Lieblein, Dwight Holton, Abner Holton and Miriam Tuliao.
Team Whatever is returning to MIMS this year with Patrick Spearing, Patrick Mcleroth, Tracy Gregg and Francine Alfandary, teammates at the West Side YMCA Masters' team.
The Holy Cross Alumni team includes Michael Toner, Bob Somma, Michele Intermont, Patrick Dietz, Frank Bongiorno and Leonard Conti.
Team Sufferfest is comprised of Paul Coughlin, Matthew Newman, Kurt Jomo, Laurie Quinn, David Mccluskey, Craig Seitel.
The Manhattan Island Marathon Swim is sponsored by the Manhattan Island Foundation, with additional support from the Hudson River Park Trust, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, and corporate sponsor D'Agostino Supermarkets. The Manhattan Island Foundation donates a portion of the proceeds to help New York City neighborhoods establish Learn to Swim programs for children and to rehabilitate city swimming pools. More than $100,000 has been donated so far.
More information about the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and the Manhattan Island Foundation, including history, past results, and media coverage, can be found on the official race web site at http://www.nycswim.org. |
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