A Local Celebrity

Tim was recently interviewed by Terry Tomalin of the St. Petersburg Times for his input on open water swimming. Here is a link to the full article:

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/outdoors/article1006309.ece

Here's an abridged version:

Like many open-water swimmers, Tim Kennedy turned to the ocean out of boredom.

"I just got tired of swimming in a pool," said the 52-year-old mortgage broker and fund manager from St. Petersburg. "I got sick of starting at those black lines, hour after hour, day after day."

Kennedy, who trains with the St. Pete Masters and the Mad Dogs Triathlon Club, has been an open-water devotee for more than a decade.

"It is addictive," he said. "It is like a runner who spends all their time on a track, then one day they cut you loose on some trails. You don't want to go back."

Over the years, Kennedy has swum the entire length of Tampa Bay and around Key West, as well as circumnavigating Manhattan.

"When you get out there, the other swimmers don't matter," he said. "You are out there pushing yourself … competing against Mother Nature."

Like most open-water devotees, Kennedy finds ocean swimming a mental release.

"It is almost like an out-of-body experience," he said. "You just let your mind wander. You swim on auto pilot. It is really an exhilarating experience."