Tom Hecker
From Openwaterpedia
The Co-Chairman of the La Jolla Cove Swim Club, he trains at the La Jolla Cove while employed as a Sales Training Manager at Sherwood Medical.
He also crossed Lake Tahoe (22.1 miles) in 15 hours 9 minutes from Camp Richardson in California to Hyatt Beach in Nevada as the oldest swimmer on record. He also crossed the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco in 2006 in a time of 3 hours 40 minutes and continues to set his sights on other channels around the world.
With his January 2012 crossing of the Cook Strait in 10 hours 36 minutes, Hecker has now completed 4 of 7 channels of the Oceans Seven: English Channel, Catalina Channel, Cook Strait and Strait of Gibraltar.
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. Richard Haan (Czech Republic), 57 in 14:07 in 2005
20. Peter Urrea (USA), 56, E/F in 14:38 in 1996
21. Kevin Murphy (England), 56, E/F in 13:35 in 2005
22. Jackie Cobell (England), 56, E/F in 28:44 in 2010
23. Duke Dahlin (USA), 55, E/F in 14:37 in 2003
24. Christopher Blakeslee (USA), 54, E/F in 14:44 in 2004
25. Michael Miller (USA), 54, E/F in 16:10 in 2008
26. Otto Thaning (South Africa), 53, E/F in 10:29 in 1994
27. Klaus Stutzer (Germany), 53, E/F in 14:09 in 1997
28. Morris Finkelstein (USA), 53, E/F in 15:21 in 2003
29. Bill Hoehn (USA), 53, E/F in 15:53 in 2004
30. Hugh Tucker (South Africa), 53, E/F in 13:37 in 2004
31. Tom Hecker (USA), 53, E/F in 15:21 in 2005
32. Steven Smith (England), 53, E/F in 14:28 in 2005
33. Vasanti Niemz (Germany), 53, E/F in 16:50 in 2010
34. Dan Richards (USA), 53, E/F in 12:32 in 2010
35. Henry Eckstein (USA), 52, E/F in 14:24 in 2000
36. Peter Jurzynski (USA), 53, E/F in 17:18 in 2004
37. Peter Jurzynski (USA), 52, E/F in 14:57 in 2003
38. Dennis Dressel (USA), 52, E/F in 12:08 in 2003
39. Jorge Rikarday (Mexico), 52, E/F in 20:24 in 2003
40. Tim Cheesman (England), 52, E/F in 15:07 in 2007
41. Elizabeth Fry (USA), 52, E/F/E in 24:39 (13:20 + 11:19) in 2011
42. Tim Cheesman (England), 52, E/F in 15:07 in 2007
43. Gilles Chalandon (USA), 52, E/F in 14:31 in 2010
44. Kevin Murphy (England), 51, E/F in 14:29 in 2000
45. Peter Jurzynski (USA), 51, E/F in 17:08 in 2002
46. Anne Cleveland (USA), 51, E/F in 11:33 in 2007
47. Michael Ball (England), 51, E/F in 12:55 in 2009
48. Nancy Steadman-Martin (USA), 50, E/F in 11:20 in 2004
49. James Fitzpatrick (USA), 50, E/F in 14:32 in 2005
50. Frank Chalmers (Scotland), 50, E/F in 16:48 in 2005
51. Tim Cheesman (England), 50, E/F in 16:14 in 2005
52. Terry O'Brien (Australia), 50, E/F in 15:50 in 2006
53. Antonio Argüelles (Mexico), 50, E/F in 12:54 in 2009
54. Jim Bayles (USA), 50, E/F in 10:59 in 2002
55. Jim Boucher (Ireland), 50, E/F in 16:51 in 2011
