Peter Urrea
From Openwaterpedia
Peter Urrea is the one the oldest successful swimmers of the English Channel. He has completed two of the Southern California Eight and is a member of the Half Century Club and the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming for having swum across the English Channel (14 hours 36 minutes in 1996) and Catalina Channel (13 hours 40 minutes in 1997) and for twice completing a circumnavigation around Manhattan Island (1991 and 1998 in 9 hours). He also participated on a relay from Portpatrick, Scotland to Belfast, Ireland in August 1998 in 13 hours 7 minutes as well as a solo crossing of the Maui Channel in 1995.
In June 1999, he attempted a Strait of Juan de Fuca solo swim but had to be pulled from the water due to very close killer whale pod after 14 miles.
He also participated in a double-crossing relay of the Catalina Channel in 1993 that took 25 hours and a January 1994 relay across the Catalina Channel in 12 hours as well as a relay circumnavigation of the Catalina Island in 1995 in 27 hours.
Half Century Club
A growing number of individuals over the age of 50 have successfully completed the English Channel. These aquatic adventurers prove that some things do get better with age.
1. Roger Allsopp (England), 70 years and 4 months, England-to-France in 17:51 in 2011
2. George Brunstad (USA), 70 years and 3 days, England-to-France in 15:59 in 2004
3. Clifford Batts (Australia), 67, France-to-English in 18:37 in 1987
4. Ashby Harper (USA), 65, E/F in 13:52 in 1982
5. Roger Allsopp (England), 65, E/F in 15:30 in 2006
6. Sue Oldham (Australia), 65, E/F in 17:11 in 2010
7. Michael Read (England), 63, E/F in 15:29 in 2004
8. Veljko Rogosic (Croatia), 63, E/F in 11:27 in 2004
9. Robert West (USA), 61, E/F in 15:35 in 1996
10. Sue Oldham (Australia), 61, E/F in 16:03 in 2006
11. Jean-Paul Madelenat (France), 60, E/F in 14:46 in 2002
12. Linda Ashmore (England), 60, E/F in 15:11 in 2007
13. Vijaya Claxton (USA), 59, E/F in 22:27 in 2007
14. James "Doc" Counsilman (USA), 58, E/F in 13:07
15. Mo Siegel (USA), 58, E/F in 14:18
16. Carol Sing (USA), 57, E/F in 12:32 in 1999
17. Kevin Murphy (England), 57, E/F in 15:14 in 2006
18. Alan Macleay (England), 57, E/F in 22:14 in 2006
19. Peter Urrea (USA), 56, E/F in 14:38 in 1996
20. Kevin Murphy (England), 56, E/F in 13:35 in 2005
21. Jackie Cobell (England), 56, E/F in 28:44 in 2010
22. Duke Dahlin (USA), 55, E/F in 14:37 in 2003
23. Christopher Blakeslee (USA), 54, E/F in 14:44 in 2004
24. Michael Miller (USA), 54, E/F in 16:10 in 2008
25. Otto Thaning (South Africa), 53, E/F in 10:29 in 1994
26. Klaus Stutzer (Germany), 53, E/F in 14:09 in 1997
27. Morris Finkelstein (USA), 53, E/F in 15:21 in 2003
27. Bill Hoehn (USA), 53, E/F in 15:53 in 2004
28. Hugh Tucker (South Africa), 53, E/F in 13:37 in 2004
29. Tom Hecker (USA), 53, E/F in 15:21 in 2005
30. Steven Smith (England), 53, E/F in 14:28 in 2005
32. Vasanti Niemz (Germany), 53, E/F in 16:50 in 2010
33. Dan Richards (USA), 53, E/F in 12:32 in 2010
34. Henry Eckstein (USA), 52, E/F in 14:24 in 2000
35. Peter Jurzynski (USA), 53, E/F in 17:18 in 2004
36. Peter Jurzynski (USA), 52, E/F in 14:57 in 2003
37. Dennis Dressel (USA), 52, E/F in 12:08 in 2003
38. Jorge Rikarday (Mexico), 52, E/F in 20:24 in 2003
39. Tim Cheesman (England), 52, E/F in 15:07 in 2007
40. Elizabeth Fry (USA), 52, E/F/E in 24:39 (13:20 + 11:19) in 2011
41. Tim Cheesman (England), 52, E/F in 15:07 in 2007
42. Gilles Chalandon (USA), 52, E/F in 14:31 in 2010
43. Kevin Murphy (England), 51, E/F in 14:29 in 2000
44. Peter Jurzynski (USA), 51, E/F in 17:08 in 2002
45. Anne Cleveland (USA), 51, E/F in 11:33 in 2007
46. Michael Ball (England), 51, E/F in 12:55 in 2009
47. Nancy Steadman-Martin (USA), 50, E/F in 11:20 in 2004
48. James Fitzpatrick (USA), 50, E/F in 14:32 in 2005
49. Frank Chalmers (Scotland), 50, E/F in 16:48 in 2005
50. Tim Cheesman (England), 50, E/F in 16:14 in 2005
51. Terry O'Brien (Australia), 50, E/F in 15:50 in 2006
52. Antonio Argüelles (Mexico), 50, E/F in 12:54 in 2009
53. Jim Bayles (USA), 50, E/F in 10:59 in 2002
