Jamie Patrick has been around water all his life, as a age-group
swimmer, in college and as a surfer and triathlete. He blossomed this year and carved out his niche in the adventure swimming community. A world where each individual defines their own goals and means of achieving them. In a planet covered with water, adventure swimming is a fast-growing niche in the marine ecosystem.
Jamie’s unprecedented 111-mile swim down the Sacramento River, a 31-hour non-stop effort aided by neoprene and fellow river swimmer Martin Strel, culminated successfully due to a year of logistical planning, escort crew coordination and training. But his long-term goal to financially support other adventure swimmers, so they too can prepare for and achieve their own dreams in the open water world is admirable and uplifting.
A devoted father and husband, successful business leader and adventure swimming catalyst, for his infectious joy of the sport and genuine willingness to help others, Jamie Patrick is a worthy nominee for the 2011 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year.
For more information on Jamie Patrick, visit here.
VOTE HERE.
WOWSA aims to promote open water swimming as a global sport for those of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. It hosts the World Open Water Swimming Awards to recognize the open water swimming's heroes and heroines.
Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source
Say "wearing a wetsuit", not aided by neoprene. One could suspect that he wore a neoprene cap as an aid. Also, mention it was current assisted so people who don't know better don't think marathon swimmers can swim 3.6 mph form 31 hours.
ReplyDeleteI believe you are applying the traditional rules of channel swimming (i.e., no wetsuit or protective swimsuit) in Jamie's swim which was an adventure swim. Adventure swimming is another niche of the open water swimming ecosystem and different than traditional channel swimming. Even professional marathon swimming is different than channel swimming where athletes are allowed to draft. Imagine being able to draft off of someone in the English Channel?!? It would be unheard of and unfair to all of those who crossed the Channel under the traditional rules. That is, the global ecosystem of open water swimming has different rules, protocols, and expectations for each of its niches: channel swimming, marathon swimming, adventure swimming, stage swimming, river swimming, etc. Jamie is an adventure swimmer doing an adventure swim; fundamentally different than a channel swim or a professional marathon swim or a stage swim (either assisted or unassisted or continuous) or a river swim. Also, there are only a few river swims that are conducted upstream - and most of those upstream river swims are relatively short (for obvious reasons!).
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see the different types of swimming here. There are channel swimmers, marathon swimmers, pool swimmers, and in Jamie's case; an adventure swimmer. This is similar to comparing different sports around the world. Climbing for example has become this crazy sport that many love. However it is also become judged in different ways. Some climb without a harness. Some climb with one. Some boulder where they are lower to the ground without a rope while others climb high peaks without a rope. There are many people that will say a climber without a rope is much better than one without while the other person will say that the one with was more technical and had to use more gear. Does this make any of them better than the next? No it doesn't. Jamie's swim was aided by current. However, 111 miles aided or not is extremely impressive. Triathletes wear wetsuits all year round. Does it keep them buoyant? It helps. However they still have to swim. This would be like calling a person who competes in a triathlon or the male Kona winner a cheater because he wore a wetsuit during the swim. Remember that there are many different types of swimming out there.
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