Paul Rekoff’s Awesome Five-Hour Swim
Paul Rekoff started the 20-mile Cape Cod Bay Swim at 5:08 am yesterday from White Horse Beach in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He was attempting to complete a swim in which only 4 others in history had completed: Russell Chaffee (1968), Greg O’Connor (2012), Janet Harris (2012), David Barra (2012), and Eileen Burke (2012).Escorted by Massachusetts Open Water Swimming Association pilot John Boreland with Burke providing guidance on his boat, Paul Rekoff had about 30 minutes of darkness before dawn broke. O’Connor explains, “From the start, Paul had a tail wind from the west which grew though out the morning to 17 mph. The steady wind kicked up swells that were at first 2-4 feet, but grew to 6 feet by 10 am. The waves were washing over him from the left. Paul breaths on the left. Paul gave it his all. The waves were relentless.”
Although he never slowed and maintained a consistent stroke count, Mother Nature got the best of Rekoff yesterday. He got out after 5 hours 10 minutes. “Paul had gone about 11 miles and had about 9 to go,” recalls O’Connor. “It was an awesome 5 hours to watch.”
Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming
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.
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