In golf, there is a feat older golfers strive for: to shoot your age.

The equivalent in open water swimming is to swim your age. To accomplish this goal, you must complete a swim equal in kilometers to your age. So if you are 20 years old, you swim your age if you do at least a 20 km swim.

If you are 30 years old, you can swim your age if you do at least a 30 km swim. At 40 years, you must do a 40 km swim. Obviously, this aquatic feat gets harder and harder as you get older.

The swim can be done in any body of water: an ocean, lake, reservoir, bay, estuary, sea, channel, canal, river, fjord or lagoon. It must be continuous (feeding stops are allowed) and completed according to the traditional rules of the sport (e.g., no touching boats, kayaks or piers, and without a wetsuit). Some say that the open water is a Fountain of Youth and those who swim their age prove it.

The annual 45.8 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (28.5 miles) always has people who swim their age every year. In 2011, 25 out of the 36 swimmers completed the feat:

– Eliz Albritton-McDonald (44 years)
– Miguel Arrobas (36)
– Cecy Cohen (37)
– Edmond Irwin (39)
– Brad McVetta (37)
– Charles Mitchell (33)
– Guy Moar (43)
– Gabor Molnar (29)
– Victoria Moore (27)
– Selina Moreno Pasagali (38)
– Evan Morrison (31)
– Greg O’Connor (42)
– David Orders (32)
– Courtney Paulk (41)
– Erica Rose (28)
– Tullio Salvatore (35)
– Julie Sheldon (39)
– David Smith (44)
– Miquel Suñer (34)
– Sarah Thomas (28)
– John van Wisse (38)
– Oliver Wilkinson (35)

In 2013, the following individuals who are entered in the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim have an excellent shot at swimming their age:

1. Giuliana Braga (40 years)
2. Carol Cashell (33)
3. Devon Clifford (22)
4. Lisa Cummins (30)
5. Lisa Delaurentis (31)
6. Timothy Donovan (30)
7. Victoria Gorman (31)
8. Lochie Hinds (17)
9. Marilee Kiernan (25)
10. William Leonard (33)
11. Liam Maher (43)
12. Wayne Morris (43)
13. James Neitz (44)
14. Paul Newsome (34)
15. Emma Otto-Moudry (17)
16. Ceinwen Roberts (32)
17. Charlotte Samuels (14)
18. Gretchen Sanders (32)
19. Victoria Thorpe (27)
20. Karen Throsby (44)
21. Grace van der Byl (34)
22. John van Wisse (40)
23. Deirdre Ward (33)
24. Frank Levy (45)
25. Caitlin Rosen (32)

Photo above shows Keo Nakama at the age of 41 completing the 42 km Molokai Channel in 1961.

Copyright © 2012 by World Open Water Swimming Association