
Yesterday, Bill “Ciastko” Welzien (USA, 75, MSF bio here) completed his 148th warm-water 20.1 km circumnavigation swims around Key West in southern Florida over the last 34 years. This week, he finished in 7 hours 10 minutes 37 seconds [see his swim data here].
At 75 years old, he shows no signs of slowing down, even in the 79.9°F (26.6°C) water.
This was his seventh swim in 4 months with David Ezmirly as his kayaker.
He addressed the issue of sharks, jellyfish, and general safety about swimming around Key West, “Sharks are the absolutely last concern of mine in my swims. Instead, I am concerned about inattentive boaters and jet skiers. That why I appreciate my kayak escorts so much. They are my protection.
I periodically see nurse sharks laying on the bottom. They are docile and we mutually respect one another’s space.
Jellyfish are rarely seen. Man o war can be problematic from December into March, but only on a south wind and only on the Atlantic side of the island. I have painful memories of my run-ins with them. Apart from the Key West Harbor, most of the water is shallow. Land is never out of sight. I would regard this course as a fairly safe course as far as open water swims go.
He further explained his perspective, “I find it challenging. It’s a good discipline. I know my window is closing at near 75 years and I still want to get what I can through it. I feel very blessed to be able to do this and I still have the ‘want to.’ I know it’s healthy for me, mentally, physically and spiritually.”
The Floridian septuagenarian started his solo swims around Key West in 1991 and served as the race organizer of the Swim Around Key West in 2003. He completed his 100th swim (Century Swim) in May 2018, averaging 6 hours 15 minutes over the course for his first 100 swims.
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Great article about Bill’s swimming achievements at 75. I turn the same age this August and also an ocean swimmer but not in the same league as this champion. However I just completed my fifth Camino in Spain walking 400 km carrying a full 9 kg backpack. In Australia there is very little coverage of older citizens still being active. So well done for this great post.