Dan Downs Derwent
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. En route to his attempt to complete the Oceans Seven, New York swimmer Dan Curtis is getting prepared by completing the 34 km Big Swim in Tasmania, Australia.
He cruised for 15 hours 57 minutes along the River Derwent from the New Norfolk Bridge to the Tasman Bridge, a swim that had not been completed over the last 39 years.
With the water expected to hover between 13-14ºC, his crew of Valerio Valli, Chris Guesdon, escort pilots Michael Manning and Harold Schiebel, safety chief Wayne Banks-Smith and Doctors Katharine and Daniel Owens saw Curtis swim over 5 hours more than his initial estimate.
“It was a pretty remarkable effort — probably the most remarkable marathon swim I’ve seen in a very long time, and I’ve seen a few,” remarked Guesdon who has observed hundreds of events over his five-decade career.
It is that kind of determination, grittiness and gutsiness that will see Curtis through his Oceans Seven challenge.
Photo by Kim Eiszele.
Copyright © 2015 by World Open Water Swimming Association
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
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