At the 12.6-mile Distance Swim Challenge in Santa Monica, California, Ironman Clayton Treska caught Greg Kovacs was the last swimmer who just barely got under the time limit.

Nearly 10 hours and 35 minutes in the water, stroke after stroke never giving up, Greg went running up the beach, not quite the winner, but certainly a champion.

With his wife’s eyes glistening with tears of joy and relief, Greg was quickly wrapped up in mylar blankets and added to the small fraternity of athletes who have swum over 10 miles in the open ocean. “This is what OptimisSport Distance Swim Challenge is all about,” said Alan Morelli. “We are developing training programs to help athletes achieve their potential, based upon scientific research and evidence.”

Which is exactly what Greg did – especially since the Distance Swim Challenge was designed with eight onshore stage areas in mind. These eight stages were medical-check transitions where the athletes had to run out of the water, go around an aid station, answer a few questions and then run (walk or jog) back into the water.

In reality, the stages provided ample opportunities for an athlete to get out of the cold water and think about how hard it is to get back in the cold water. But Greg – like all the other finishers in the Distance Swim Challenge – accepted extreme levels of discomfort and headed right back into the Big Blue.

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source