Craig Deitz finished the 1.5 mile swim in 54.37 . Of the 800 swimmers, Craig finished ahead of over 125 of them.
From the May 19th story:
Craig Dietz
Craig is an extraordinary athlete. His story is unique in that he does not share the same loping swimming stroke pattern as many of his competitors; he does not drive towards the finish line with a roaring six-beat freestyle kick. Despite these differences, Craig Deitz continues to swim and does so in a manner that is easily recognizable from the shore. Deitz trains and competes laying flat on his back, one large fin attached to a portion of his leg, his hips and core undulating to provide propulsion. Despite being a bit of a “late bloomer” when he fell in love with open water swimming at age 34 when he competed in his first 1500m swim event at the Pittsburg Triathlon in 2008, he now trains over 5,000m every day. Simply put, Craig Deitz loves swimming.
Craig Deitz was born without limbs but chooses to swim every day of his life. It is his choice to face adversity head on and to do what he truly enjoys that makes Dietz such a remarkable athlete and human being. In June 2012, Deitz became the first quadruple amputee to complete the 4.4 mile swim across the Chesapeake Bay. His story has been covered by Fox News, ESPN’s E:60, ESPN the Magazine, and a number of local print and television news media outlets. Deitz also travels around the country as a public speaker, presenting his audience with his incredible story of triumph in the face of adversity.
FINIS is privileged to work with Deitz on his latest goal: to compete in the 2013 Sharkfest Swim in the San Francisco Bay, CA. He will leap from the boat into the 56 degree waters on the morning of Sunday, May 19th and will swim 1.5 miles into Aquatic Park, fighting strong currents and tides that threaten to pull him out towards the Pacific Ocean. This is simply another challenge that Craig Deitz will overcome in the pursuit of his dreams and for his love of the sport of swimming.
About FINIS:
Founded in 1993 in Northern California, FINIS was started by John Mix and Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer Pablo Morales. The Monofin and the Swimmer’s Snorkel were the first products they developed for the US market; afterwards, they continued to focus on creating training tools for swimmers and coaches worldwide. FINIS products are currently available in over 65 countries and are used by US and International Olympic teams, elite triathletes, and fitness swimmers.
Innovative research and design is FINIS’ highest priority. This dedication has resulted in truly unique products such as: the Swimmer’s Snorkel, which is recognized as the paramount tool to improve a swimmer’s technique, the SwiMP3 that uses bone conduction technology to transmit music to the inner ear instead of using ear buds,and the Z2 Zoomers fins, which demonstrate an intimate understanding of swimming musculature, hydrodynamics, and engineering.
Courtesy of Finis.
Absolutely amazing acheivement for this courageous guy !!! very happy to see that as an example of breaking all limits in life . Thanks Guys for reporting on his extraordinary courage and determination .