Forrest Nelson

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Description

Forrest Nelson is an American channel swimmer and is a Renaissance Man in the discipline of marathon swimming. He served on the Board of Directors of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame prior to organizational structural changes in 2015. A personable graduate of MIT, a member of the 24-hour club, he is president and member of the board of directors of the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation. He possesses the smarts and savvy to intelligently analyze a swim before, during and after at a level rarely seen in the open water swimming world and is an Honour Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.

He was recognized and spoke at the 2012 Global Open Water Swimming Conference and the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on the RMS Queen Mary on 22 September 2012 in Long Beach, California.

He has assisted on dozens of Catalina Channel crossings including that of Team Tripod, Stephen Redmond, and Hank Wise.

Marathon Swimming Career Highlights

Nelson was a nominee for the 2011 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year.
He achieved the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming (English Channel + Catalina Channel + Manhattan Island Marathon Swim) and the Grand Slam of Open Water Swimming (English Channel + Catalina Channel + Manhattan Island Marathon Swim + Tampa Bay Marathon Swim):
On 5 October 2004, he completed a 32.4 km crossing of the Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the California mainland in 10 hours 35 minutes 16 seconds at the age of 49.
On 16 April 2005, he won the 36 km Tampa Bay Marathon Swim in Florida in 10 hours 21 minutes at the age of 39.
On 14 July 2005, he crossed the English Channel from England to France in 10 hours 34 minutes at the age of 39.
On 16 June 2006, he finished 9th in the 45.9 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in New York in 9 hours 31 minutes 36 seconds at the age of 41.
He has completed several other marathon swims and channel relays of note, including the following:
a Kaulakahi Channel crossing from Kauai to Niihau
a 19.5 km Tsugaru Channel crossing from Honshu to Hokkaido
three 42 km Molokai Channel crossings – achieved in both directions
a 24-hour 64.6 km double-crossing of the Catalina Channel
a 77.2 km 25 hour 45 minute circumnavigation swim of Catalina Island (record)
the first Catalina Island – California mainland – Catalina Island crossing by a male
a December crossingof the Catalina Channel
a 23 km Cook Strait crossing
the 38.6 km Tampa Bay Marathon Swim, winner of the event in 2005 in 10 hours 21 minutes
Anacapa Island-California Mainland in the Santa Barbara Channel Islands (his second swim of the Southern California Eight
Palilolo Channel, starting on Maui
a 33.5 km English Channel crossing in 12 hours 41 minutes
participated in the California Screamin’ Relay, a six-person relay with Tina Neill, Kent Nicholas, Ernie Hoftyzer, Emily Evans, and Melodee Nugent when the team swam from Doctor’s Cove on Santa Catalina Island around Santa Catalina Island to around Santa Barbara Island to return around the remaining part of Santa Catalina Island to finish at the Isthmus in 51 hours 55 minutes in 2015.
participated in the six-member HTC Relay team with Tina Neill (captain), Emily Evans, Steve Lowe, and Kent Nicholas that set a new course record of 25 hours 48 minutes from a swim from San Clemente Island, around the western edge of Catalina Island, to the Southern California mainland at Cabrillo Beach on 25 July 2012. The HTC Relay broke the record of the Swim for Hope relay for the 52 statute mile channel swim.
participated in the Team FTD, an open water swimming relay together with Becky Jackman-Beeler, Mike Mitchell, Kent Nicholas, Emily Evans, and Tina Neill. They completed an unprecedented 6-way Catalina Channel crossing in 61 hours 6 minutes from 10-14 July 2014. Source: Evan Morrison of the Marathon Swimmers Forum on 14 July 2014.
he unselfishly volunteers to be an escort crew member and official observer on a number of solo swims and relays from the Catalina Channel to the Santa Barbara Channel and the Hawaiian Islands. When he is serving in those capacities, he never sleeps or rests no matter how long or rough the swim is. His eyes are always on the swimmer while he frequently consults with the pilot in order to help navigate the optimal course for his athletes. He is the epitome of an ideal support crew member.
He completed a 41.8 km crossing of Santa Monica Bay in Southern California with Jen Schumacher in an unprecedented tandem swim, swimming from Point Dume in Malibu to Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes Peninsula in 14 hours 10 minutes 45 seconds on 16 March 2014.
He was a member of the ATI Team 1, a 6-person team that completed a 64.6 km circumnavigation swim relay around Santa Catalina Island in the Pacific Ocean off of Southern California on 16 September 2018 in 41 hours 54 minutes 45 seconds that included Gary Workman, Tom Hecker, Kris Berglund, Lynn Kubasek, and Sabrina Young.