„WHEN I THINK OF NEW YORK CITY, I THINK OF CENTRAL PARK, 5TH AVENUE AND BROADWAY. ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE CITIES! BUT THE MEGACITY ON THE ATLANTIC IS ALSO THE CITY OF WATER AND A REAL HOTSPOT FOR OPEN WATER SWIMMERS.“
So it was clear to me, I absolutely had to take part in the “20 Bridges Swim”. But what sounds like a lot of glamour and great scenery is actually one of the toughest open-water competitions in the world. The demanding 46 km long course runs around the Statue of Liberty. The Hudson River separates the city centre from New Jersey and connects the sea with the Great Lakes. The East River flows between the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx in the north and Brooklyn and Queens in the south. Especially the various arms of the river and the associated different currents should only be swum by experienced open-water swimmers and require a lot of strength and concentration. In addition, the branched network of canals is very busy and the water quality correspondingly poor, because the joint New York/New Jersey harbour is one of the largest in the USA. This fact in particular was a major change for me. There were boats and ships everywhere, causing a lot of distractions that can take away your concentration. Fortunately, my coach, Joshua Neuloh, prepared me well for these circumstances and my other coach, Adam Walker, also kept giving me the right tips from the dinghy. So I managed to swim to the finish line with 8 hours, 12 minutes and 37 seconds on the clock as the third fastest European and first German. At the same time, this means the title “Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming” for me. Only swimmers who have completed the English Channel, the Catalina Channel and the circuit around Manhattan are allowed to wear this title. An absolute honour, I am really proud of my achievement!
