James Pittar is an Australian tax official and open water swimmer from Sydney who was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer in 2009. He become the first blind swimmer to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming and swims and raised over $AUS 100,000 on behalf of the Fred Hollows Foundation and works for the Rainbow Club Foundation which teaches disabled kids how to swim. He is a member of the Rottnest Channel Swim Honour Board and author of Blind Vision, his autobiography. He serves as a Marathon Swimming Mentor.
Media Claire Daniel wrote a book, Swimming the Continents, about Pittar’s aquatic exploits in the oceans, rivers and lakes around the world. Pittar was the subject of the documentary, Swimming with Skyscrapers. He wrote and released Blind Vision, his autobiography in the face of loss, triumph and love.
Blindness Pittar suffers from a genetic disorder called Retinitis Pigmentosa, which causes a degeneration of the retina. This disease was diagnosed when he was 16 after he suffered from rapidly decreasing vision. He was legally blind by 21 and completely blind by his early 30s.
Open Water Swimming Career
On 23 July 2020, he completed a marathon swim from Martha’s Vineyard to Nantucket in a tandem swim with Debra Blair in 8 hours.
He swum across the 33.5 km English Channel, 32.3 km Catalina Channel and 45.9 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim to become the first Australian and second disabled person to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
On 21 February 1998, he finished 36th in the 19.7 km Rottnest Channel Swim in Western Australia in 7 hours 51 minutes 24 seconds at the age of 28.
On 19 July 1998, he completed a 33.8 km crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 13 hours 50 minutes at the age of 28.
On 20 February 1999, he finished 41st in the 19.7 km Rottnest Channel Swim in Western Australia in 8 hours 59 minutes 13 seconds at the age of 29.
On 12 June 1999, he finished 25th in the 45.9 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in New York in 7 hours 58 minutes 55 seconds at the age of 29.
On 26 February 2000, he finished 84th in the 19.7 km Rottnest Channel Swim in 7 hours 42 minutes at the age of 30.
On 24 February 2001, he finished 96th in the 19.7 km Rottnest Channel Swim in Western Australia in 8 hours 44 minutes 59 seconds at the age of 31.
On 23 February 2002, he finished 100th in the 19.7 km Rottnest Channel Swim in Western Australia in 9 hours 3 minutes 44 seconds at the age of 32.
On 1 August 2002, he completed a 14.4 km crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco in 4 hours 51 minutes at the age of 32.
On 22 February 2003, he finished 72nd in the 19.7 km Rottnest Channel Swim in Western Australia in 10 hours 1 minutes 27 seconds at the age of 33.
On 5 March 2004, he completed a 23 km crossing of the Cook Strait from South Island to North Island in New Zealand in 8 hours 31 minutes at the age of 34.
On 15 September 2006, he completed a 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the Southern California mainland in 11 hours 36 minutes 50 seconds at the age of 36.
On 20 May 2007, he finished 15th in a 10 km South Head Roughwater in Watson’s Bay, Australia in 3 hours 25 minutes 11 seconds at the age of 37.
On 12 August 2007, he finished 5th in the 13.2 Pennock Island Challenge in Alaska, USA in 3 hours 29 minutes 25 seconds at the age of 37.
On 17 May 2009, he finished 8th in the 10 km South Head Roughwater in Watson’s Bay, Australia in 3 hours 37 minutes 57 seconds at the age of 39.
On 15 May 2011, he finished 22nd in the 10 km South Head Roughwater in Watson’s Bay, Australia in 3 hours 46 minutes 23 seconds at the age of 41.
On 19 May 2013, he finished 44th in the 10 km South Head Roughwater in Watson’s Bay, Australia in 3 hours 41 minutes at the age of 43.
On 3 May 2014, he finished a 7.4 km crossing from Robben Island to Blouberg, Cape Town, South Africa in 3 hours 4 minutes 31 seconds at the age of 44.
Pittar completed a 21 km marathon swim in Phuket, Thailand
Pittar completed an 11 km marathon swim in Anzac Cove in Turkey
Pittar completed a 25 km marathon swim in the Vaal River in South Africa
Pittar completed a 60 km marathon swim down the Paraná River in Argentina
Pittar completed 10 km Capitola Pier to Santa Cruz pier swim in 2007.
Pittar completed a 6 miles swim in Inisbofin Harbour in Ireland.
Pittar was a member of the successful, unprecedented, 6-day Bering Strait Swim relay, a 53-mile (86 km) relay crossing from Cape Dezhnev in Chukotka, Russia, to Cape Prince of Wales in the state of Alaska, USA
Pittar completed 4 of the Oceans Seven channel swims in his career.
On 23 July 2000, he completed a 26 km swim from Martha’s Vineyard to Nantucket Island in Massachusetts, USA.
