Photo provided by surviving spouse Martyne Simard-Marzulli with husband Pat Marzulli.
In 2018, Pat Marzulli (USA, 75, MSF bio here) became the oldest person to complete a 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel at 69 years 311 days old when he crossed in 15 hours 29 minutes.
He broke the records previously held by Jim McConica (64 years in 10 hours 48 minutes in 2015) and Carol Schumacher Hayden (66 years 58 days in 15 hours 2 minutes in 2016).
Marzulli had a relatively late start, completing his first marathon swim at the age of 54 in the 37 km Tampa Bay Marathon Swim in 2003. His last marathon swim was the 2021 Alligator Lighthouse Swim at the age of 72, completed in 5 hours 58 minutes.
He discussed his record-setting Catalina Channel crossing in 2018:
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: What prompted you at the age of 69 to attempt to swim across the 32.3 km Catala Channel?
Pat Marzulli: I have multiple friends in my Tampa Bay open water swimming community: Mark Smitherman (USA, 66, MSF bio here), Maureen Montgomery (USA, 64, MSF bio here), Chris Burke (USA, 63, MSF bio here), Serbo Simeoni (USA, 59, MSF bio here), and Ron Collins (USA, 62, MSF bio here) who had mad successful crossings and convinced me I could do it. And I knew my age window was closing.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Why did you pick the Catalina Channel?
Pat Marzulli: See answer above. Also, it is one of the major iconic swims. I had already done Tampa Bay Marathon Swim, Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, and other slightly shorter swims, so I felt I could do the distance.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: What is your training like on a daily basis? Do you do any dryland training?
Pat Marzulli: When in training for a long swim, I will do between 4,000-5,000 yards daily on 4 weekdays. On weekends, the distances will go up as high as 10,000 yards, sometime more. At the peak, I will shoot for mid 40,000+ meter weeks. I do incorporate a dryland routine with emphasis on core and shoulder rotator cuff exercises. I have in the past worked out with a local sports trainer, Larry Mayol, who was the former head manager for the New York Mets. He keeps my shoulders in shape.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Did you encounter any issues – physiological, psychological, logistical, emotional – during your training in the lead-up to your success?
Pat Marzulli: During and following the 2018 SCAR Swim Challenge, I experienced some respiratory issues which I had to recover from. Then as summer dragged on, I was tired of the training, but I set both aside and kept working. About a month out, I had to deal with some rotator cuff issues, but Larry helped get that issue resolved as I tapered. And there is also the inevitable self-doubt about being prepared and whether you can make it.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Did you encounter any issues – physiological, psychological, logistical, emotional – during the Catalina Channel swim itself?
Pat Marzulli: Physiologically and psychologically, there were no issues that we hadn’t prepared for. The planned hot fluid tea mix was scrapped at the beginning due to minor indigestion, but the backup water, Carbo Pro, and amino vital feeds warmed up substituted just fine.
The planned tea mix with apple juice turned out too upsetting to the stomach. I also, alternated between vanilla bean GU and a caffeine GU blueberry pomegranate. About two-thirds through the course, I had prepared a rice mush concoction with honey which really went down well.
I did experience navigation issues in the night portion of the swim as the lights on my kayak escort blended with the background lights of the boat. I kept veering to the right and then back to the left to find the kayak. This zigzag issue resolved itself once daylight came. However, later in the last 5 miles, as we encountered a northern current, I kept veering off course to the right. While I knew I needed to adjust, I had difficulties staying on the line to finish.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: How did you overcome these issues?
Pat Marzulli: My companion swimmer, Lisa Hertz Malick (USA, 39, MSF bio here) and her husband JC Malick in the kayak were persistent in getting me back on line. The observers were concerned I was losing mental capacity, but that was not the issue. Once we had a boat-to-swimmer intervention, they let me keep going.
In general, my Tampa Bay open water swimming companions had repeated to me, ‘Swim from feed to feed’ and ‘Don’t think beyond the next feed’. It was good advice which I followed with a single-minded determination and focus.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Who was on your escort boat across the Catalina Channel? Did you have any particular reasons why these individuals were chosen?
Pat Marzulli: The boat was The Magician with head captain Carl Mayhugh – working captain for my swim Derek.
My wife, Martyne was my main Crew Chief. She was assisted by Lisa when Lisa was not my companion swimmer. JC was my main kayaker. He had escorted me in my Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 2015 and other shorter swims. I had the utmost faith in him.
The second kayaker was John Steed who brought a friend of his Jimena Santibanez, who was very valuable help to my wife. I had decided to bring John on about two weeks earlier when I was persuaded by my observer that two kayakers was safer. It turned out to be a good thing, since the conditions were far more challenging than JC thought they would be. The head observer was Don Van Cleve. The backup observer was Gary King, both of whom were invaluable and supportive, while staying neutral.
The support of my wife leading up to and during the swim cannot be overstated. She was an enthusiastic Crew Chief and extraordinary cheerleader and advocate throughout the swim. As Martyne’s favorite mermaid, Lisa played a crucial role in the “behind the scenes” aspects of the swim; managing the feed prep, timing, and delivery of feeds, coordinating the kayak exchanges, training Jimena to take over for her when she was pace swimming, and was critical as the pace swimmer particularly at the end when it was needed most.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Can you describe your feeling when your hand touched the ocean floor and you started to walk up on shore?
Pat Marzulli: Happiness, relief, and joy that the grind was over. I was really moving slow at the last half mile and the walk up the beach you mention was a virtual crawl over the rocks and seemed to take forever. But I was done and just sat on the dry rocks for several minutes, catching my breath. Finally after a moment, we got back into the water and I let the kayaker tow me back to the boat.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: How did you feel afterwards: sore, fatigued, elated, relieved?
Pat Marzulli: Initial muscle soreness was gone in 24 hours. Overall, my recovery is still in progress. The mental and physical fatigue are subsiding.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: What is next on your open water swimming bucket list?
Pat Marzulli: My application is in for the Strait of Gibraltar. Beyond that, shorter tropical, warm water swims where I can see fish and don’t have to travel so far.
Over the course of his career, he completed the Swim Around Key West, Swim Around Charleston, Swim Around Lido Key, Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, Swim Fort De Soto, SCAR Swim Challenge, Alligator Lighthouse Swim, and the Catalina Channel – see his MSF bio here.
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I grew up with Pat and his brother John, we used to play tag football in their front yard with other neighborhood kids. He and his twin brother John were on the swim team at Largo High School. I am so glad we got to see Pat and John at our 75th birthday bash October, 2023. We lost both of them, separately since the. Very sad, but I will always remember Pat’s cheerful disposition and courage through life. Rest in peace, my friend.
The news of Pat’s passing is so sad. I came to know Pat when I moved to Florida and joined St. Pete Masters swim team. Our team meets brought Pat and I together, sometimes in lanes next to each other as we often swam the same events. We teamed up for the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim on a couple occasions, with several others, and had great camaraderie. We were close in age, but his distance swimming expertise far exceeded mine. We were “buddies” though, and always had a mutual respect.
Ma chère Martine, Nos cœurs t’accompagnent lors de ces jours douloureux.
Nos condoléances
Francine et Steve
Pat and I were good friends in the years before Martyne and before his swimming career.
We spent our time on the water ON TOP of the water as boat owner partners (and remained good friends after those boats came and went, which is saying something).
Our days doing business together and seriously recreating in Key West, Tampa Bay and on the Suwannee River, are golden memories for me.
I know (because he told me) that he felt like he’d won the lottery when he met Martyne. They had something that we all hope to find – soulmates to be sure.
Rest in peace Pat – BTW, you WON this race.
Pat was humble, good natured and funny. His tenacity, honesty and long winding stories made welcome company on many strange sometimes difficult adventures in commercial real estate.
He never gave up, never.
Safe travels my friend.
Dear Pat and John Marzulli family and friends. I was very shocked and saddened to hear about Pat’s recent death. I am an old high school and reunion friend. I think I first met Pat’s wife Martyne at a recent reunion get together on Indian Rocks Beach. Obviously, Pat was known best for his athletic pursuits in swimming and his commercial real estate acumen. But I knew him as a friendly, personable man with a great smile and attitude about life. He was one of the people I wanted to talk to and be around: accomplished but approachable. This is a great loss to the Largo High graduating class of 1966 and everyone else who knew him. Martyne, this is a terrible loss to you. I can identify a bit because I just lost my wife of many years. Your husband will be greatly missed but well remembered.
I meet Pat at St. Pete Masters sometime in 2000, I was recovering from back surgery, and on the side lines from triathlon. I meet Pat in the distance lane, we quickly became friends, and enjoyed swimming together, he talked me into long distance open water swimming, I wasn’t at a point where I could run or bike, so I took him up on it. In 2001 we did the Tampa Bay Marathon swim as a three (3) person relay, the 3rd guy on our team only made it a mile, Pat and I slugged the rest of it out, until we reached the causeway in the dark, AROUND 8:00 pm, He was also a good friend and we hunh out together, and we both meet our wonderful wives around the same time, Pat could not stop talking about the wonderful Marteen. We stayed in touch professionally, and I followed his swimming after I went back to Triathlon. Definitely a good friend and great guy. My deepest sympathies to Marteen and his brother, John.
Pat, you will be missed. I enjoyed working with you preparing for your crazy swims. You were always a hard worker
I consider it a blessing to of known and worked with you.
For your wife and family may the God of all comfort keep and bless them.