Westport, CT – One of the great local community sporting traditions takes place on Sunday, July 12, with the 37th Annual Point to Point Compo Beach Swim, hosted by the Westport Weston Family YMCA.
The 1-mile open-water swim attracts swimmers from around New England, as three tiers of competitive swimmers — advanced, intermediate and beginner — compete in separate heats. A Kids Mini Point to Point swim follows.
Registration is now under way at www.westporty.org The fee is $50 before July 11; $55 day of race. The Mini Point to Point is $20. All proceeds benefit the Westport Weston Family YMCA’s Annual Campaign, which allows the Y to offer its programs, facilities and services to all, regardless of their ability to pay.
All participants get an official Point to Point T-shirt. Non-resident swimmers and spectators will be allowed to park free of charge for the duration of the race.
Here’s the schedule for the day, with an Awards ceremony to follow the completion of the Kids Mini Point to Point race:
7 am: Registration and check-in begin
8:30 am: Race begins
9:30 am: Kids Mini Point to Point
The 36th Point to Point was won by Senior Water Rat swimmer Jonathan Blansfield in a repeat performance from the 2013 event. Jonathan recently completed his first year as a scholarship athlete at Northwestern University.
The top woman finisher was Danielle Honrath, a Monroe native who now lives of New York City.
But as with every Compo Beach Swim, the race is not just about times and finishes, but in the stories of the aquatic athletes who compete, some for the first time, some year after year.
Bernie Fitz, a 55-year-old disabled swimmer from Port Washington, N.Y., was delighted to set a new personal best in the 35th Point-to-Point. Last summer, his time was a bit slower, but he was happier still (and had a great excuse) -- cheering him on was his new bride.
Patia McGrath was a student of Dr. Saul Scherzer, a longtime swim instructor who specialized in helping adults learn to swim and improve their basic technique. His sudden passing in the spring of 2014 was a shock to our YMCA family, Patia included.
When Patia started with swim lessons three years ago, "I was a nervous wreck," she recalled in post-race remarks last summer. Dr. Saul, as he was known to all, got her comfortable in the water and gave her a goal: she should swim in the Point to Point. She did that last year in his honor.
That's the true point of Point-to-Point and the embodiment of the YMCA's mission to develop and nurture the potential of every individual.
For more information about Point to Point, including sponsorship opportunities, please contact Nicole Turechek, Aquatics Director, at 203-226-8981 or nturechek@westporty.org.