OPEN WATER SWIMS / JOHN FORASTE & FRIENDS
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I began swimming regularly about 1990 by working out five days a week at the pool in the the Smith Swim Center at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Back problems made this a wise choice of exercise. The length of the workouts increased over time until, in early 1996, a swimming buddy, Jim Edwards, encouraged me to think about doing the Save The Bay's annual 1.7 mile open water swim across Narragansett Bay. This was a huge challenge for me - and a great motivator - and I continued to work on my technique as I increased both the length and intensity of the workouts. With additional encouragement from Jim. I also became involved a little later (1998-2003) in the United States Masters swimming program (friendly competition for swimmers 20 and older). During this period I also started doing workouts created by "Coach" Rich Burrows, the top swimmer at Brown in the mid 1970s. And, over time, I quietly gained just enough credibility to share his lane. I swam my first Save The Bay Swim in the summer of 1996. I swam in this wonderful event every year from 1996-2010 - with the exception of 2005 when back problems made it impossible. Then I swam it again in 2018, after having moved to Virginia in 2011 (where I swam a few times in the James River near Richmond). I returned for the Save The Bay Swim so that my wife Diane could swim her 1st (!) and I my 15th. The Save The Bay Swim was also the start of other open water swims (personal challenges) in the waters in and near Rhode Island's beautiful Narragansett Bay. And thanks to the example of my nephew, Stephen, who runs the Boston Marathon, I have a generous plate of spaghetti the night before each open water swim.
Click on the small maps to the left for stories about each of the swims.
Map data ©2005 NAVTEQ from maps.google.com |