Swimmers Take Plunge for Ocean Race

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Brendan Lewis emerged from the surf in Sea Isle City all by himself, about 37 seconds clear of the closest swimmer behind him. He hardly seemed fazed that he had just completed a mile-long swim in the ocean. “There were ideal conditions. No problems at all,” the 19-year-old from Garnet Valley, Pa., said assuredly. Lewis led the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol One Mile Ocean Swim on Saturday pretty much from start to finish in completing the course in 21 minutes, 2 seconds. “I was by myself all of the time,” said Lewis, who is a lifeguard with the Wildwood Beach Patrol. Swimmers emerge from the surf to head for the finish line. Alexa Turco, 20, of West Chester, Pa., won the women’s race and was seventh overall, finishing in 22 minutes, 52 seconds. “I was swimming with the second-place (women’s finisher) for a while and then I pulled away,” Turco said. “It was super-fun. There was a good current.” Altogether, 174 swimmers finished the race, which started at 61st Street and ended at 45th Street. Sunny skies, 70-degree water temperature and a calm ocean on Saturday morning helped out the swimmers. “Perfect conditions – surf and temperature,” said Doug Nowak, the race director and member of the Sea Isle Beach Patrol. The ocean swim returned this year after being canceled in the summer of 2020 because of the pandemic. Spectators watch as the competitors cross the finish line on the 45th Street beach. Nowak explained that even with ideal conditions, a mile-long swim in the ocean is challenging because the currents can be tricky. Sea Isle’s beach patrol had safety measures in place and set up the course with a series of markers to help the swimmers navigate their way. “We’re doing a lot to make it manageable for the swimmers and safe,” Nowak said. Other than the pandemic-related cancellation in 2020, the ocean swim is held annually. The race resumed in 2014 after it was halted in the 1990s because some swimmers suffered from hyperthermia. Competitors are now allowed to wear swim suits to help keep warm. The race Saturday attracted swimmers from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Ohio and California. There was a lot of local representation, including a group of lifeguards from the Ocean City Beach Patrol. Tori Delusant, center, is joined by her fellow Ocean City lifeguards who competed in the race. Tori Delusant, one of the Ocean City lifeguards, said she has been competing in the one-mile race for five years, even though she doesn’t consider herself a long-distance swimmer. She finished 71st overall, with a time of 27 minutes, 50 seconds. “It was great. It was flat today, so that really helped. I like the course. It’s a mile long, so you can pace yourself instead of doing a flat-out sprint,” said Delusant, 22, a resident of Mays Landing. One of the competitors, Jerry Lombard, a 60-year-old former Sea Isle lifeguard, said he enjoys racing against swimmers who are half his age and younger. “I’m young at heart,” Lombard said, laughing. Lombard, who lives in Avalon, said he swims in the mile-long race every summer. His only regret this year was that he didn’t train harder to prepare for the swim. He was clocked in 36 minutes, 44 seconds, to finish 136th overall. Lombard didn’t seem winded, though, after he stepped out of the surf. He said he planned to race in another mile-long swim in Avalon on Saturday evening. Jerry Lombard, a 60-year-old former Sea Isle lifeguard, says the mile-long swim keeps him "young at heart." Following are the complete results compiled by CompuScore.com. Sea Isle City Beach Patrol 1 Mile Ocean Swim Results (runsignup.com) Brendan Lewis, center, the race winner, is joined by other top finishers in the men's division during the awards ceremony. Alexa Turco, third from left, the winner of the women's division, and other top female finishers hoist their trophies.