Avalon Resident Places Third in Challenging Open Ocean Race

AVALON – Avalon Resident and Seven Mile Island business owner Nikolas Pattantyus completed the 10th Annual StarMile2.5 open ocean race on March 25 between the island of St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, placing 3rd overall with a time of 1:18:50.
“People keep asking me what the hardest part of the race was; for me it was orienting myself in the water to make sure I was staying on course,” Pattantyus said. “Within the first few hundred yards of the race I was all by myself. There were no buoys to mark the course, and I had to use a radio antenna on a Nevisian mountaintop to set my course. Halfway through the race, a wave runner literally ran me over to tell me I was going way off course. The driver later told me I was in 2nd place before I strayed off course, and my error cost me 9 minutes.”
Conditions during the race were challenging, with a 15-20 mph easterly wind sweeping through the channel, as well as moderate chop and 3 ft seas. “The route we were swimming was South-Southwest into the wind and current, so battling the elements made the distance feel a bit longer,” Pattantyus added.
Pattantyus, owner of 7 Mile Island Massage (http://www.7mim.com), trained for the 2.5 mile swim three times a week for 2 months at Sweat Fitness in Philadelphia. His love for swimming began as an infant, when his parents began taking him to “mommy and me” swim classes at the YMCA in his hometown of Poughkeepsie, NY. He continued to swim on a local swim team into high school. He is also a long-time surfer and snowboarder, with a reputation among friends and family for traveling around the world in search of the best waves and snow (usually not at the same time).
About StarMile 2.5:
The open ocean swim is across the channel between St Kitts and Nevis. In recognition of the 10th anniversary, for the first time the start took place on Cockleshell Beach on St. Kitts, and the finish was at Oualie Beach on Nevis. The 2.5miles (4.1km) distance had a record 150 competitors this year. In 2011, a new event record was set by three-time Olympian and pro triathlete Olivier Marceau with a time of 58:09. You can learn more at http://star-events.cc/site/en/starmile25nevis/race-details/course-description.
About 7 Mile Island Massage:
7 Mile Island Massage has been providing outcall massage therapy to the Avalon, Stone Harbor and surrounding Cape May County shore communities since 2001. They offer a wide range of modalities, including Swedish, Russian Sports, and Deep Tissue Massage. Make an appointment or learn more at http://www.7mim.com.