Tiago Sato is a 31-year-old physical education teacher and swimming teacher in Brasilia. And he forcibly puts himself in some difficult and interesting situations in order to achieve his ultra marathon swimming goals.

“I started to swim these open water swimming competitions when I was 18 years old. I completed the English Channel in 2010 in 9 hours 51 minutes, but I now want to attempt a two-way crossing.”

So he pits himself against the world’s best.

He is competing on the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix professional marathon swim circuit. “By swimming with and against the world’s best open water swimmers, I believe that I can gain more confidence and experience. This will help me when I attempt a double-crossing. My goal on the pro circuit is to finish under the time limit [2 hours after the first finisher].”

While the other swimmers stress out about placing, prize money, and competition, Sato is always smiling with an obvious appreciation for everything around him, from the ground-based volunteers to his escort boat crew. “My other objective in competing in these FINA races is to increase the level of awareness of marathon swimming in Brazil. We need to find and motivate other swimmers who may be interested in the sport. They can also help to develop into fast swimmers in the future like Poliana Okimoto, Ana Marcela Cunha and Allan do Carmo.

In Brasilia where I live, no one else swims long distance. So I started by competing in the FINA pro circuit in Serbia and Macedonia last year. This year, I have done Santa Fe, lac St-Jean, and am here in Magog. Then I will go to Macedonia and Capri-Napoli in Italy later this summer.”

With clear objectives in mind and a deep appreciation for the sport, Sato will leave his mark and his wake among the next generation of open water swimmers in Brasilia.

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