Courtesy: Toledo Athletics
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – University of Toledo men’s swimming alumnus and Varsity T Hall of Fame member John Muenzer will attempt to complete the final leg of the Grand Slam of open water swimming starting Tuesday, Aug. 2 at 11:00 p.m. PST. Muenzer will attempt to swim 20.5 miles from Catalina Island to Huntington Beach, Calif.
The Grand Slam consists of Manhattan Island (24.5 miles), English Channel (20.8 miles), Tampa Bay (24.5 miles) and Catalina Channel (20.5 miles). Completing the swim would also give Muenzer the distinction of conquering the open swimming Triple Crown (Manhattan, English Channel, Catalina Channel).
“It’s been a long road to accomplishing these swims,” Muenzer said. “As with all of us a lot of curveballs in life which has been the reason for this amount of time to get them swum. Having seven children was the biggest.”
Muenzer, a native of Maumee, Ohio would be the 27th person to complete the Grand Slam and the oldest to do so (age 60). Approximately 240 swimmers have completed the Triple Crown.
“This is the most dangerous of the four swims so I’m a bit nervous,” Muenzer said. “I can’t wait to get going! At almost 61 so I’m laughing to myself about the endeavor. I certainly thought I’d have swam these swims way before now. ”
Muenzer was a member of the Toledo men’s swimming team from 1979-83. A 1983 graduate of the College of Business, Muenzer made his mark as one of the top distance freestyle and backstroke swimmers of his time. His best finishes were at the 1983 MAC Championships where he placed fourth in both the 1,650 and 500-yard freestyle events. He also recorded a fifth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle that same year. By the end of his college career, Muenzer had set four individual event records and was a member of three record-setting relay teams. He was inducted into the Varsity T Hall of Fame in 1992.
Muenzer’s first accomplished his dream of swimming across large bodies of water when he crossed Lake Erie in August of 1983. Muenzer swam 34 miles from Point Pelee, Canada to the beach at Cedar Point, a feat that took 24 hours and 10 minutes to complete. A plaque to commemorate his accomplishment stands on shore at Cedar Point. Muenzer brought great pride and recognition to himself and to the University of Toledo, and was recognized by Governor Richard Celeste as an example of commitment and effort of the youth of Ohio.
In 2009, at the age of 47, Muenzer attempted to swim across the English Channel, a feat that very few have been able to achieve. His year-long preparation for the swim included dropping 35 pounds and enduring the freezing water of Lake Michigan. Muenzer left for England on July 9, but heavy winds and dangerous water conditions postponed his swim until the night of July 20. He pushed through every obstacle that came his way: swimming in the pitch-dark of night, a jellyfish attack, and changing currents. After 13 hours and 12 minutes, Muenzer’s swim was finally complete when he reached Wissant, France just before 11:00 a.m. on July 21.
MEGA Corp Sponsorship, out of Cincinnati, will be the title sponsor for Muenzer this swim. The sponsorship is significant covering the nearly $10,000 in costs, allowing Muenzer to focus on the swim itself.
Go John! You can do it!