Mo Siegel, 59, of Piermont, NY successfully completed the Ederle Swim from Battery Park, New York City, to Sandy Hook, New Jersey on Saturday, Oct. 23. The open water swimming competition took place in choppy 56-degree seas along a 17-mile course through the New York Harbor and the Upper Bay past Brooklyn and Coney Island down to New Jersey. Ten swimmers competed and all finished, a rarity for this annual swim. Siegel, the oldest swimmer in the field, came in with a time of 6:15:28. The last swimmer in, he had to complete most of the journey on his own. Due to the rough conditions, his kayaker dropped out of the race after two hours, leaving Siegel to navigate the challenging waters. Despite this setback, he finished the race excited but exhausted.
Siegel is an accomplished open water distance swimmer who swam the 21-mile English Channel this past August, and the 28.5-mile Manhattan Marathon in June. When not swimming long distances, he serves as President and co-CEO of Ice Air, a leading manufacturer of heating and cooling units, based in Mount Vernon, NY.