Overachiever Thomas Bell
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. Thomas Bell became the 111th person in history to achieve the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
“I always enjoyed swimming, but I did not have the time to pursue it in college,” explains Bell. “I also enjoy other endurance sports like cycling and rowing, and set swimming the English Channel as a goal to motivate me to train hard.”
He has obviously overachieved in that regard.
After setting the English Channel as a goal, he ended up completing the Catalina Channel in 2013 in 11 hours 0 minutes, the English Channel in 2014 in 15 hours 53 minutes, and a completion of the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim this weekend in 8 hours 6 minutes.
“My other swims included two attempts at the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim, the Little Red Lighthouse Swim, and a couple 9-milers in Ocean City, Maryland.”
Thomas Bell describes his Triple Crown achievement in detail here.
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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