MONROE, Conn. — Joey Nizzardo, 23, of Monroe, who is well known for his three-year-winning-streak in the solo category of the annual Hartford HealthCare/St. Vincent’s Swim Across the Sound, recently competed in the 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan on June 15. He completed the 28-and-a-half-mile swim in the Hudson, East and Harlem rivers in 6:10:17, the 11th fastest time in the history of recorded swims going back to 1915.
“It was really a cool experience,” Nizzardo said in a recent phone interview. “I was pretty happy with my time. It’s part of the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.”
The Triple Crown also includes the English Channel and the Catalina Challenge.
“I’m doing the English Channel next September and I haven’t planned the Catalina one, but I will do it at some point,” Nizzardo said. “I did a lot of open water races, from 5-to-10ks, but the Swim Across the Sound and the Manhattan ones are the longest I’ve done.”
Nizzardo, a member of Masuk High School’s Class of 2021, competed on the boys swim team and went on to swim at Fairfield University. He participated in the 1650 Freestyle in the Conference Championship every year, placing as high as third in his sophomore and senior years.
Nizzardo is currently a swim coach for the Rapids in Shelton and is working as an intern with Wildlife in Crisis, while pursuing a career in the wildlife and land preservation field.
A new challenge
Last June was the first time Nizzardo took on the 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan, an event organized and operated by New York Open Water (NYOW), a nonprofit organization that provides safety, support and navigation for the 28.5-mile marathon swim.
He said the Manhattan swim begins in the East River on a course going up to the Harlem River, to the Hudson and back up the East River to the finish. When he swam, Nizzardo was accompanied by a boat and a kayak to ensure his safety.
He said pacing is the key to completing this long distance race.
“We were just doing food and water every 40 minutes,” Nizzardo said. “I had coconut water every 40 minutes. I was alternating every 40 minutes with coconut water, baby food and carbohydrate powder.”
Now that he’s taken on a new challenge in Manhattan, Nizzardo is continuing to train for the Swim Across the Sound, which will be held on Saturday, Aug. 1.
“I’m swimming every day,” he said. “I do open water stuff.”
Though Nizzardo does some of his training in swimming pools, he said he prefers the open water and gets out there whenever he can.
“Generally, I do at least five kilometers, depending on the time I have to swim,” he said of a typical training day.
This year’s race will start at Seaside Park, because Danford’s Marina in Port Jefferson, N.Y., is closed due to ice damage over the winter.
“It is a new course, so I don’t know what the time will look like,” said Nizzardo, adding his only goal is to finish it, while swimming a good race. “I look forward to it every year. I think it’s a very important cause and wonderful that an organization holds such an impactful event. It’s important for people in need of help battling cancer.”
The Swim Across the Sound raises money to help lessen the financial burden of cancer treatments for patients, with proceeds paying for expenses like mortgages, utilities and car repairs, while providing free screenings. To learn more about the services and programs offered by the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute, click here.
Of The Swim, Nizzardo said, “I think it’s a very rewarding sport and it’s always nice to participate in the open water events for great causes like Swim Across the Sound. It’s a great way to raise money for a good cause.”
Volunteers are still needed for this year’s Swim. Up to 50 teams are signed up for the event, increasing the need for boaters and people with jet skis and kayaks. Those interested in volunteering should visit swimacrossthesound.org.
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