Jay Peluso is the founder and head coach of Peluso Open Water and the IGNITE SwimRun race series owner. He was a two-time All-American swimmer at the University of Massachusetts. He graduated with a degree in Sport Management where he was a standout in Swimming and Water Polo. He earned his law degree from the University of Richmond in 1996 and was inducted into the Rhode Island Aquatics Hall of Fame in 2004. During his swimming career at UMass, Peluso was a multiple school record holder and seven time New England Champion.