Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.— After a grueling 16.5-hour-long swim across the Santa Catalina Channel, Dr. Bryan Huffman has become the first Michigander to complete what is known as the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
Dr. Huffman and his support crew met at 7:00pm PST on Sunday, August 4, to discuss the water conditions and develop a strategy for the crossing. He entered the water at 9:47pm PST surrounded by total darkness.
Difficulties began early and included rough seas and resulting nausea; trouble maintaining visual contact with support craft; jellyfish stings; falling asleep while swimming; and a persistent cross-current for the duration of the swim.
“It was the toughest swim so far,” Dr. Huffman admitted. “After 10 hours of swimming, I was ready to be done. By that point I was completely exhausted and just wanted to quit. [But] I wanted to finish more.”
The Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming is a “marathon swimming challenge consisting of three historically important swims,” according to LongSwimsDB, a database of verified marathon swimming results. The challenge’s three routes include the English Channel, the 20 Bridges Swim, and the Catalina Channel.
Dr. Huffman, a Holland-area ophthalmologist, began his Triple Crown journey in October 2022, when he successfully swam across the English Channel. In 2023, he claimed his second “crown” by circumnavigating the island of Manhattan during the 20 Bridges Swim.
His efforts are not limited to saltwater swims: Earlier this summer, Dr. Huffman successfully crossed Lake Erie in 16 hours and 22 minutes. An attempt was made to cross Lake Michigan in 2023; however, that swim was cut short by mechanical issues on a support vessel.
Although Dr. Huffman enjoys long-distance swimming, his motivation for undertaking these challenges goes beyond the sense of personal enjoyment that would drive most swimmers. “The main reason for doing these swims is to raise money to pay for swim lessons for kids in West Michigan,” he said. “My swims are all self-funded… so all of the money goes to providing swim lessons to kids.”
A donation form and more information about Dr. Huffman’s activities can be found at https://www.hollandaquatic.org/bryans-big/swims/.
About Holland Aquatic Center:
Holland Aquatic Center is a community-owned and operated recreational facility that opened in 1968. HAC empowers people to live healthier, more connected lives through a fun community space for swimming, diving, fitness and recreation. We offer a clean, safe, accessible environment for guests and families to invest in their health. For more information, please visit www.hollandaquatic.org or call 616-393-7595.
Contact:
Katie Bean, Community Engagement Manager
616-393-7595 x109 | katie@hollandaquatic.org