20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan
On 10 October 2026, I am scheduled to swim the 20 Bridges course around Manhattan. The route travels through the East River, Harlem River and Hudson River, passing beneath twenty bridges before completing a full loop of the island.
It will be a very different swim from the English Channel. Success will depend not only on endurance, but on working with the changing tides and currents, maintaining rhythm through three distinct waterways and responding calmly when the day does not unfold exactly as planned.
Why Manhattan?
After completing the English Channel, I wanted to take on another of the world’s truly iconic marathon swims. The 20 Bridges Swim is one of the three legs of the World Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, alongside the English Channel and the Catalina Channel. Completing Manhattan would therefore give me the second leg of the Triple Crown.
The setting also makes it unlike almost any other swim. The course combines complex currents and tidal conditions with a full circumnavigation of one of the world’s great cities. It is a very different challenge from the Channel, but the fundamentals remain the same: thorough preparation guided by my coach Vlad, trust in the team and the discipline to keep moving forward, one feed and one stroke at a time.
the road back
The road to Manhattan has also involved getting my body back to where it needed to be. In May 2025, I underwent rib-resection surgery to address the thoracic outlet issues that had affected me for the previous two years. The surgery has been very successful and, following rehabilitation, has allowed me to return to the water and train pain-free.
Since then, preparation has focused on rebuilding the endurance required to remain consistent throughout the swim. Long ocean sessions, structured pool work, recovery and a carefully rehearsed feeding plan all form part of that process.
