Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
One of the more impressive swimmers at this year’s 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim is 63-year-old Jamie Tout.
In Stage 1, the 10-time Manhattan Island Marathon Swim finisher completed the 18.3-mile (29.4 km) course in 5 hours 39 minutes. The next day on the Stage 2, he tried to tackle the 19.8-mile (31.8 km) Beast of a course but he did not finish due to the heavy chop and wind. He skipped the 13.2-mile (21.2 km) Stage 3 as he recuperated in bed. “I was feeling horrible,” he recalls.
But after the day of rest, Tout clearly recovered and swam extremely well. On the 15.2-mile (24.4 km) Stage 4 course from the Newburgh Beacon Bridge to the Bear Mountain Bridge, he finished fourth overall in 4 hours 21 minutes, less than 11 minutes slower than ageless winner Cheryl Reinke.
“When people mention my name, they precede it with my age…63. It’s all about age. On Stage 1, 17-year-old Charlie Nadal passed me in the last hour. On Stage 4, I beat Paige Christie who is 23. But the race truly starts tomorrow on Stage 5. For me, the issue is recovery. But my fellow athletes are wonderful. Paige is a charming young lady and Cheryl is a true Iron Woman. On this off day, I have a deep tissue massage, thanks to Mo Siegel. I might be able to pull off the last stages if I recover [enough].”
For more information, visit www.8bridges.org.
Additional articles on the 2016 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim:
*History: Christie vs. Reinke Recalls Van Der Byl vs. Davies Battle
*Stage 1: Cheryl Reinke Wins 8 Bridges Stage 1 Marathon
*Competitor: Elena Pavlova Swimming From Ukraine To New York
*Stage 2: Paige Christie Overcomes Conditions At 8 Bridges
*Stage 3: Cheryl Reinke Extends Slight Lead Under 8 Bridges
*Stage 4: Four For Cheryl Reinke At 8 Bridges
*Stage 5: Top Duo Duel Each Other And Weather
*Nerves: Goose Bumps While Swimming The 8 Bridges
*Stage 6: Swimming In Stages Down The Hudson River
*Stage 7: Cheryl Reinke, Paige Christie Go 7 For 7 At 8 Bridges
*Perseverance: Stage 6 Takes 6 For Capri Djatiasmoro
Copyright © 2016 by World Open Water Swimming Association