Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
Poliana Okimoto is one of the living legends of open water swimming, who has always been a fan favourite. World champion and Olympic bronze medallist Brazilian star aims at achieving some more good results at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Balatonfüred.
“I didn’t like open water swimming. I didn’t want to do it.” – who would think that these were the words of a world champion and Olympic bronze medallist superstar of…open water swimming. In fact this sport was not love at first sight for 34-year-old Poliana Okimoto.
The native Japanese, who was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, began swimming at age 2, and started training at age 7. During a competition, she got a slap in the ear that ended up hurting her eardrum, forcing her to have surgery and to suspend swimming for a while.
Her first major international event was the 2002 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Moscow, where she finished 18th in the 800m freestyle. In 2005 she took part in the Travessia dos Fortes, an open water crossing event established in 2001 by the Brazilian Army in Rio de Janeiro. Okimoto won the race, and it not only boosted her confidence, but her opinion of open water swimming had changed a lot in a positive way.
A year later, at the 2006 FINA World Open Water Championships he won silver both in the 5km and 10 km event, and also finished in second place at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio. In her first Olympics, at the 2008 Beijing Games she finished seventh.
In 2009 she won the World Cup overall competition, winning 9 of 11 races that season! In addition she won the bronze medal in the 5km event of the FINA World Championships in Rome. She was considered by Época magazine one of the 100 most influential Brazilians in 2009, which was a notable result in the country of football and soap opera stars.
She won another silver at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, but at the 2012 Olympic Games she had to withdraw from the 10km race due to hypothermia.
Her most successful FINA World Championships proved to be the 2013 event in Barcelona, where she won the gold medal in the 10km, the silver in the 5km, and the bronze in the team event with Allan do Carmo and Samuel de Bona.
At the 2015 FINA World in Kazan, however, she failed to win a medal, but next year in Rio she managed to win her first ever medal at Olympics. She initially finished fourth, but the disqualification of second placed Aurélie Muller upgraded her to the bronze, making Okimoto the first Brazilian woman to win an open water swimming Olympic medal.
“When I got to finish, I was already satisfied. I had already done my utmost. I did my best test, I had nothing more to give. When it came to third place then it was exciting. I’m already a little whiny, I could not hold back the tears. I deserved it very much. I fought hard to be here, I fought a lot for this medal.” (oglobo.globo.com, 08.08.2016.)
Okimoto switched to open water swimming after being influenced by her husband Ricardo Cintra, who actually became her coach as well.
“It is not easy, our lifestyle. Our workouts, our training. It is so hard.” – she said to openwaterswimming.com.
The open water swimming events of the 17th FINA World Championships will be held from 15 to 21 July in Balatonfüred.
POLIANA OKIMOTO
Born: Sao Paulo (Brazil), 8 March, 1983
Medal record:
Olympic bronze medallist (2016 Rio, 10km)
World champion (2013 Barcelona, 10km); three-time silver medallist (2006 Naples, 5 and 10km; 2013 Barcelona, 5km); two-time bronze medallist (2009 Rome, 5km; 2013 Barcelona, team event)
Two-time Pan American Games gold medallist (2007 Rio de Janeiro, 10km; 2011 Guadalajara, 10km)
vMATT MOSELEY TO ATTEMPT FIRST-EVER
‘SWIM ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN’
50 miles, Four islands, Three days;
Swim will benefit water organizations
and monitor micoplastics
BOULDER, CO—Matt Moseley and his support team, including Coach Randy Soler, are planning to Swim Across The Caribbean for about 50 miles on July 17, 18 and 19, 2017. This first-ever swim will be from St. John’s to St. Thomas, St. Thomas to Vieques and then Vieques to Puerto Rico ending with a celebration at Puerto Del Rey Marina. It will follow World Open Water Swimming
Association guidelines.
The swim is a benefit for the Scuba Dogs Society, who protect coral reefs and beaches, and the Colorado-based Inland Ocean Coalition, who prove that you don’t have to live on the ocean to care about it. The adventure will combine science and swimming. The 5 Gyres Institute will monitor microplastics through a specific protocol for one of the first data sets of plastic content in the Caribbean. The journey is being documented by renowned director of photography John Mans.
The swim is sponsored by Bobo’s Oat Bars, RovR Coolers, W Hotel Vieques, dovetail solutions and Puerto Del Rey, the marina where we will finish, and The Moorings who have assisted with the support catamaran.
“I think of swimming as a performance art project that are vessels to tell the story of water and the organizations who work hard to protect it,” said swimmer Matt Moseley. “My swims are moveable festivals with art and music. It has taken two years of planning and training to put this together. We have a great team and the momentum has been building.”
“There has been very little microplastic research conducted in the Caribbean making our involvement in the Swim Across the Caribbean critical to a global understanding of the plastic pollution problem,” said Carolynn Box, Science Program Director at 5 Gyres, an environmental group that empowers others to take action towards solutions to plastic pollution. “The data collected will be incorporated into our global dataset to help support policies and efforts to ban single use plastics, such as styrofoam takeout containers, which we are targeting through our current #foamfree Action Campaign.”
“Scuba Dogs Society is proud to be a partner in this event that promotes awareness of the protection of oceans and is very much in line with our environmental education and coastal and underwater clean-up initiatives,” said Silmarie Sanchez, executive director of Scuba Dogs Society. “The objective is to have clean and healthy waters for healthy growth of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and human health.”
“We are excited to be part of this swim and the first citizen science monitoring project for plastic pollution in the Caribbean,” said Vicki Nichols Goldstein, founder and executive director of the Inland Ocean Coalition, a movement that builds land-to sea stewardship. “We live on an ocean planet and the key ingredients to building an inland movement for oceans and clean water is to ignite community engagement, support key legislative efforts, facilitate learning partnerships, and create cultural shifts through education. This swim is an opportunity to illustrate both our connection to dependence on the ocean.”
“Bobo’s believes in the spirit of determinism, as in ‘where there is a will, there is a way,’” said Beryl Stafford, founder and president of Bobo’s Oat Bars. “Matt Moseley embodies such determinism with his vision for inventing ridiculous open water swim routes and combining them with great water-protecting causes like 5 Gyres and Scuba Dog Society. We are proud to partner and support Matt’s big Caribbean swim, wish him luck and strength, and encourage people to also join him in protecting our great oceans.”
SCHEDULE:
Friday, July 14: NOON. Scuba Dogs Society press conference at Escambron Beach
5:30 pm: Team dinner at De Luigi’s Restaurante Italiano.
Saturday, July 15: Travel to St. Thomas and some will go to Tortola to pick up support boat in Tortola. Moseley travels to St. Thomas and then to St. John.
Sunday, July 16: Team arrives in St. John in afternoon. Team dinner and final meeting in evening.
Monday, July 17: Start swimming at 5:00 am Monday morning. Swim from St. John Harbor to Sapphire Beach, St. Thomas. Team will rest all day after swim.
8:00 pm: Start swimming from St. Thomas to Vieques for 24 miles. Swim through the night.
Tuesday, July 18: Arrive at W Hotel in Vieques about 8:00 to 10:00 am. Media availability/meet and greet/Beach Clean Up with Vieques Boys and Girls Club at noon. Team Lunch.
Wednesday, July 19: 5:00 am start swimming from Punta Arenas, Vieques, and finish in Puerto Del Rey about noon. Celebration party till about 3:00 to 4:00 pm.
TEAM:
Matthew Moseley, The Swimmer
Charles Moseley: Son, first mate and support
Randy Soler: Swim Coach
Mark Williams: Official observer, paddler, nutrition, ninja
John Mans: videographer documenting the swim
Michael Feduccia: Captain of 46 foot catamaran, DJ, art
Pedro Umpierre: Lead navigator
Carolynn Box: 5 Gyres and plastic sampling
Vicki Goldstein: Inland Ocean Coalition
Silmarie Sanchez: Scuba Dogs Society
Beryl Stafford: Founder, President, Bobo’s Oat Bars
Amanda McCraken: writer
ABOUT THE SWIMMER: Matt Moseley is a partner and chief strategy officer at dovetail solutions, a father of two, author and adventure swimmer. On June 14, 2014, he was the first person to swim across Lake Pontchartrain for 25 miles in 14 hours and 56 minutes to benefit the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. In June 2015, he made the first ocean crossing of 24.5 miles between the island of Culebra in the Caribbean to Fajardo, Puerto Rico, to benefit the Scuba Dogs Society. To raise awareness about the Colorado River, which was named the most endangered river in America, on July 28, 2015, Moseley swam non-stop for 47 miles from Moab to the confluence of the Green River to benefit American Rivers.
In 2015, Moseley was nominated for Swimming Performance of the Year by the World Open Water Swimming Association. Steve Munatones executive director of the World Open Water Swimming Association said, “There is one contemporary swimmer who stands out for his uniquely joyful approach to the sport. Matthew Moseley combines the physical toughness of an endurance athlete with the right-brain creativity of an artist.”
Moseley recently spoke at Ignite Boulder about adventure swimming. He is the subject of the documentary Dancing in the Water, about the Lake Pontchartrain swim featuring live music by David Amram, Papa Mali and Uganda Roberts. He is also the author of the book Dear Dr. Thompson: Felony Murder, Hunter S. Thompson and the Last Gonzo Campaign.
###
NOTE: Media and other interested parties are encouraged to join the last leg of the swim from Vieques to Puerto Del Rey and attend the celebration finish, but should make prior arrangements with Randy Soler 787-547-2006.
Follow the Swim Across the Cari
MATT MOSELEY TO ATTEMPT FIRST-EVER
‘SWIM ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN’
50 miles, Four islands, Three days;
Swim will benefit water organizations
and monitor micoplastics
BOULDER, CO—Matt Moseley and his support team, including Coach Randy Soler, are planning to Swim Across The Caribbean for about 50 miles on July 17, 18 and 19, 2017. This first-ever swim will be from St. John’s to St. Thomas, St. Thomas to Vieques and then Vieques to Puerto Rico ending with a celebration at Puerto Del Rey Marina. It will follow World Open Water Swimming
Association guidelines.
The swim is a benefit for the Scuba Dogs Society, who protect coral reefs and beaches, and the Colorado-based Inland Ocean Coalition, who prove that you don’t have to live on the ocean to care about it. The adventure will combine science and swimming. The 5 Gyres Institute will monitor microplastics through a specific protocol for one of the first data sets of plastic content in the Caribbean. The journey is being documented by renowned director of photography John Mans.
The swim is sponsored by Bobo’s Oat Bars, RovR Coolers, W Hotel Vieques, dovetail solutions and Puerto Del Rey, the marina where we will finish, and The Moorings who have assisted with the support catamaran.
“I think of swimming as a performance art project that are vessels to tell the story of water and the organizations who work hard to protect it,” said swimmer Matt Moseley. “My swims are moveable festivals with art and music. It has taken two years of planning and training to put this together. We have a great team and the momentum has been building.”
“There has been very little microplastic research conducted in the Caribbean making our involvement in the Swim Across the Caribbean critical to a global understanding of the plastic pollution problem,” said Carolynn Box, Science Program Director at 5 Gyres, an environmental group that empowers others to take action towards solutions to plastic pollution. “The data collected will be incorporated into our global dataset to help support policies and efforts to ban single use plastics, such as styrofoam takeout containers, which we are targeting through our current #foamfree Action Campaign.”
“Scuba Dogs Society is proud to be a partner in this event that promotes awareness of the protection of oceans and is very much in line with our environmental education and coastal and underwater clean-up initiatives,” said Silmarie Sanchez, executive director of Scuba Dogs Society. “The objective is to have clean and healthy waters for healthy growth of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and human health.”
“We are excited to be part of this swim and the first citizen science monitoring project for plastic pollution in the Caribbean,” said Vicki Nichols Goldstein, founder and executive director of the Inland Ocean Coalition, a movement that builds land-to sea stewardship. “We live on an ocean planet and the key ingredients to building an inland movement for oceans and clean water is to ignite community engagement, support key legislative efforts, facilitate learning partnerships, and create cultural shifts through education. This swim is an opportunity to illustrate both our connection to dependence on the ocean.”
“Bobo’s believes in the spirit of determinism, as in ‘where there is a will, there is a way,’” said Beryl Stafford, founder and president of Bobo’s Oat Bars. “Matt Moseley embodies such determinism with his vision for inventing ridiculous open water swim routes and combining them with great water-protecting causes like 5 Gyres and Scuba Dog Society. We are proud to partner and support Matt’s big Caribbean swim, wish him luck and strength, and encourage people to also join him in protecting our great oceans.”
SCHEDULE:
Friday, July 14: NOON. Scuba Dogs Society press conference at Escambron Beach
5:30 pm: Team dinner at De Luigi’s Restaurante Italiano.
Saturday, July 15: Travel to St. Thomas and some will go to Tortola to pick up support boat in Tortola. Moseley travels to St. Thomas and then to St. John.
Sunday, July 16: Team arrives in St. John in afternoon. Team dinner and final meeting in evening.
Monday, July 17: Start swimming at 5:00 am Monday morning. Swim from St. John Harbor to Sapphire Beach, St. Thomas. Team will rest all day after swim.
8:00 pm: Start swimming from St. Thomas to Vieques for 24 miles. Swim through the night.
Tuesday, July 18: Arrive at W Hotel in Vieques about 8:00 to 10:00 am. Media availability/meet and greet/Beach Clean Up with Vieques Boys and Girls Club at noon. Team Lunch.
Wednesday, July 19: 5:00 am start swimming from Punta Arenas, Vieques, and finish in Puerto Del Rey about noon. Celebration party till about 3:00 to 4:00 pm.
TEAM:
Matthew Moseley, The Swimmer
Charles Moseley: Son, first mate and support
Randy Soler: Swim Coach
Mark Williams: Official observer, paddler, nutrition, ninja
John Mans: videographer documenting the swim
Michael Feduccia: Captain of 46 foot catamaran, DJ, art
Pedro Umpierre: Lead navigator
Carolynn Box: 5 Gyres and plastic sampling
Vicki Goldstein: Inland Ocean Coalition
Silmarie Sanchez: Scuba Dogs Society
Beryl Stafford: Founder, President, Bobo’s Oat Bars
Amanda McCraken: writer
ABOUT THE SWIMMER: Matt Moseley is a partner and chief strategy officer at dovetail solutions, a father of two, author and adventure swimmer. On June 14, 2014, he was the first person to swim across Lake Pontchartrain for 25 miles in 14 hours and 56 minutes to benefit the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. In June 2015, he made the first ocean crossing of 24.5 miles between the island of Culebra in the Caribbean to Fajardo, Puerto Rico, to benefit the Scuba Dogs Society. To raise awareness about the Colorado River, which was named the most endangered river in America, on July 28, 2015, Moseley swam non-stop for 47 miles from Moab to the confluence of the Green River to benefit American Rivers.
In 2015, Moseley was nominated for Swimming Performance of the Year by the World Open Water Swimming Association. Steve Munatones executive director of the World Open Water Swimming Association said, “There is one contemporary swimmer who stands out for his uniquely joyful approach to the sport. Matthew Moseley combines the physical toughness of an endurance athlete with the right-brain creativity of an artist.”
Moseley recently spoke at Ignite Boulder about adventure swimming. He is the subject of the documentary Dancing in the Water, about the Lake Pontchartrain swim featuring live music by David Amram, Papa Mali and Uganda Roberts. He is also the author of the book Dear Dr. Thompson: Felony Murder, Hunter S. Thompson and the Last Gonzo Campaign.
###
NOTE: Media and other interested parties are encouraged to join the last leg of the swim from Vieques to Puerto Del Rey and attend the celebration finish, but should make prior arrangements with Randy Soler 787-547-2006.
Follow the Swim Across the Cari
Copyright © 2008-2017 by World Open Water Swimming Association