In golf, there is one feat few accomplish – to shoot your age.

The goal is simple – par is your age where everyone hits from the same tees and there are no handicaps.

To swim your age you must do a swim equal in kilometers to your age. So if you are 20 years old, you can Swim Your Age if you do at least a 20K swim.

If you are 30 years old, you can Swim Your Age if you do at least a 30K swim. At 40 years, you must do a 40K 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). And it is measured in kilometers – miles would be a bit harder to achieve.

With the growing number of Half Century Club members, the Swim Your Age achievement is within reach for many. Contact Open Water Source if you have, or intend to, Swim Your Age.

Many people say that the open water is a Fountain of Youth – and those who swim their age prove it.

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

Copyright © 2011 by World Open Water Swimming Association