Marty Filipowski crossing the Rottnest Channel with his husband, Sonny, paddling alongside him. (Photo courtesy Filipowski)

To gain membership into the triple crown of open-water swimming, one must have authenticated completion of three famous marathon swims: the English Channel between England and France, the Catalina Channel in Southern California and the Manhattan Island marathon swim.

On Aug. 15, 53-year-old openly gay marathon swimmer Marty Filipowski will attempt to complete the triple crown when he swims 20 bridges, a circumnavigation swim of Manhattan that is 28.5 miles in distance.

Jewel number one

In August 2013, his crossing of the English Channel was 31 miles in rough water that was 59 degrees. He was the only swimmer to finish the crossing that day and he was awarded the most meritorious swim of the year by the Channel Swimming Association. His time was 14 hours, 39 minutes.

“The English Channel swim absolutely changed me in terms of how I approach my life, work and swimming,” Filipowski says. “Everything takes a great plan, and you have to have initiatives step by step to complete your plan.”

Filipowski grew up in Valparaiso, Ind., and was in competitive swimming until his sophomore year of high school. He left the sport because he felt he didn’t fit in and turned his extracurricular attentions to working as the yearbook photographer.

After graduating with a degree in journalism from Indiana University, his work took him to several states including a stint in D.C. as press secretary for U.S. Sen. Connie Mack of Florida.

He credits the LGBT swimming community for getting him back into the sport as he swam with Atlanta Rainbow Trout and Team New York Aquatics during his work assignments. He is now living in Sydney, Australia and has been with Dell since 2006 working as corporate director of communications for Asia Pacific and Japan.

It was after he joined Vladswim in Sydney that he became interested in marathon swimming. Its members train four days a week in the pool and longer open-water swims on weekends.

“Vladswim had people training for triathlons and open-water swimming so I started competing in Sunday races in distances of 1.5K to 10K,” Filipowski says. “There were also people training for the English Channel and I figured if they could do it, so could I.”

He started his marathon training in 2011 and during his first attempt at an eight hour training swim in 59 degree water, he was pulled out at four-and-a-half hours. It was a lesson that led to Filipowski working with a dietician to add weight, becoming more comfortable training in cold water, adopting feeding plans and working with a massage therapist.

“You are able to train all year long in Sydney, but you really need a good support network to accomplish the training needed for a marathon swim,” he says. “There are time management issues as well and that support extends to my boss at work and my husband at home.”

Jewel number two

He picked up the second piece of the crown by completing the 22-mile Catalina Channel in August, 2015. His training for that race included a lot of practicing at night as half the swim was completed in the dark.

A constant in the journey to complete both the English Channel and the Catalina Channel was Filipowski’s husband, Sonny, who paddles alongside him in a kayak. The two were married at Alki Beach in Seattle following the English Channel crossing.

“During the lead-up to the English Channel, Sonny kayaked alongside me during all my long open-water training swims,” Filipowski says. “He also did the same as I trained for Catalina and also during the actual swim. He spent 13 hours in the kayak for that crossing.”

Jewel number three and beyond

Filipowski won’t be hanging up his suit after he completes the Manhattan swim next month. While traveling the world working for Dell, he will continue to train at pools in China, India, Singapore and Japan along with pool and ocean training in Australia.

Next year, he will attempt to cross Cook Strait in New Zealand which is about 14 miles wide and considered one of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world.

“I love being a marathon swimmer because you are swimming against yourself and the water conditions all while pushing through mental barriers,” Filipowski says. “It gives me balance between my work and my personal satisfaction.”

He also identifies himself as an “out” swimmer when he receives recognition for his swims.

“I like being a visible gay athlete,” Filipowski says. “It would have been helpful to have a role model when I was growing up. I want to be visible to others.”