Out Swimmer Pursues Triple Crown By Swimming Around All Of Manhattan
A marathon swimmer will attempt to complete the triple crown next month when he swims 20 bridges, a circular swim of Manhattan that is 28.5 miles in distance.
To gain entry into the triple crown, 53-year-old Marty Filipowski has to complete three epic marathon swims.
He already finished the English Channel between England and France and the Catalina Channel in Southern California, and now hopes to complete the Manhattan Island marathon swim on August 15.
The openly gay swimmer says he quit competitive swimming in high school because he felt like he didn't fit in, and says that it was actually the LGBT swimming community that got him excited about the sport again.
In fact, he says he specifically identifies himself as an "out" swimmer whenever he's being recognized for his swimming achievements in order to inspire others.
“I like being a visible gay athlete,” Filipowski says. “It would have been helpful to have a role model when I was growing up. I want to be visible to others."
