Veteran marathon swimmer Jim Barber added to his resume with a successful Catalina Channel crossing that earned him a place on the Triple Crown Club.

After three Manhattan Island Marathon Swims under his belt (7:45.43 in 1988, 7:45.15 in 1989 and 7:06.34 in 1991), Jim tackled the English Channel in 2006 with a 9:06.36 crossing and completed his Triple Crown with a 8:43.03 Catalina Channel crossing last week.

The Zionsville, Indiana resident was philosophical about his 22-year road to joining the Triple Crown Club, “With every challenge you put forth, there will be many small defeats to overcome. Keep your focus on what you set out to do and you will persevere.”

The full list of 38 swimmers on the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming Club is here.

iKayak4U posted this photo gallery on Jim’s swim to the tune of some very appropriate Catalina music:

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones