Peter Jursynski, Wise Beyond His Years

Is the 60 the new 40 in open water swimming

With Diana Nyad attempting to swim 165K from Florida to Cuba, it appears so.

59-year-old Peter Jurzynski is 59, is training in the cool waters of the English Channel in hopes of yet another successful English Channel swim this summer. With 14 successful channel crossings, Peter knows what it takes, especially after his open heart surgery last year.

Wise mature swimmers take it slowly. Peter started training with 20-minute sessions and gradually built up to workouts of two hours and longer. "I'm trying to increase time in the water. Obviously, cloudy and windy days require more of a challenge, yet I appear to be adjusting far better this year. I am mature enough, after all these years, to know that nothing is guaranteed in the English Channel, yet I am extremely optimistic."

Peter is the most successful English Channel swims in the Half Century Club:

The Half Century Club includes the following swimmers:

1. George Brunstad (USA), 70, England-to-France in 15:59 in 2004
2. Clifford Batts (Australia), 67, France-to-English in 18:37 in 1987
3. Ashby Harper (USA), 65, E/F in 13:52 in 1982
4. Roger Allsopp (England), 65, E/F in 15:30 in 2006
5. Michael Read (England), 63, E/F in 15:29 in 2004
6. Veljko Rogosic (Croatia), 63, E/F in 11:27 in 2004
7. Robert West (USA), 61, E/F in 15:35 in 1996
8. Jean-Paul Madelenat (France), 60, E/F in 14:46 in 2002
9. Linda Ashmore (England), 60, E/F in 15:11 in 2007
10. Vijaya Claxton (USA), 59, E/F in 22:27 in 2007
11. James (Doc) Counsilman (USA), 58, E/F in 13:07
12. Carol Sing (USA), 57, E/F in 12:32 in 1999
13. Kevin Murphy (England), 57, E/F in 15:14 in 2006
14. Alan Macleay (England), 57, E/F in 22:14 in 2006
15. Peter Urrea (USA), 56, E/F in 14:38 in 1996
16. Kevin Murphy (England), 56, E/F in 13:35 in 2005
17. Duke Dahlin (USA), 55, E/F in 14:37 in 2003
18. Christopher Blakeslee (USA), 54, E/F in 14:44 in 2004
19. Michael Miller (USA), 54, E/F in 16:10 in 2008
20. Otto Thaning (South Africa), 53, E/F in 10:29 in 1994
21. Klaus Stutzer (Germany), 53, E/F in 14:09 in 1997
22. Morris Finkelstein (USA), 53, E/F in 15:21 in 2003
23. Peter Jurzynski (USA), 53, E/F in 17:18 in 2004
24. Bill Hoehn (USA), 53, E/F in 15:53 in 2004
25. Hugh Tucker (South Africa), 53, E/F in 13:37 in 2004
26. Tom Hecker (USA), 53, E/F in 15:21 in 2005
27. Steven Smith (England), 53, E/F in 14:28 in 2005
28. Henry Eckstein (USA), 52, E/F in 14:24 in 2000
29. Peter Jurzynski (USA), 52, E/F in 14:57 in 2003
30. Dennis Dressel (USA), 52, E/F in 12:08 in 2003
31. Jorge Rikarday (Mexico), 52, E/F in 20:24 in 2003
32. Tim Cheesman (England), 52, E/F in 15:07 in 2007
33. Kevin Murphy (England), 51, E/F in 14:29 in 2000
34. Peter Jurzynski (USA), 51, E/F in 17:08 in 2002
35. Anne Cleveland (USA), 51, E/F in 11:33 in 2007
36. Nancy Steadman-Martin (USA), 50, E/F in 11:20 in 2004
37. James Fitzpatrick (USA), 50, E/F in 14:32 in 2005
38. Frank Chalmers (Scotland), 50, E/F in 16:48 in 2005
39. Timothy Cheesman (England), 50, E/F in 16:14 in 2005
40. Terry O'Brien (Australia), 50, E/F in 15:50 in 2006
41. Antonio Argüelles (Mexico), 50, E/F in 12:54 in 2009

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