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Swimmers to Make 17-mile Trip from Manhattan to Coney Island

By Mary Johnson | August 11, 2011 9:35am
Last year, Deanne Draeger, 43, swam from Manhattan to Coney Island. This year, she organized an event in which six swimmers will try to complete the journey.
Last year, Deanne Draeger, 43, swam from Manhattan to Coney Island. This year, she organized an event in which six swimmers will try to complete the journey.
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Gerry Louw

KIPS BAY — A century ago, a 17-year-old woman named Rose Pitonof jumped into the East River near East 26th Street and swam 17 miles to Steeplechase Pier in Coney Island, becoming the first woman to make the grueling journey.

This Saturday, Aug. 13, marks the the 100th anniversary of Pitonof's feat, and six athletes are set to follow in her footsteps to commemorate the occasion.

“She was this incredible swimming marvel,” said Deanne Draeger, who organized the event.

Draeger, 43, first learned of Pitonof's historic swim two years ago, when she stumbled across a 1911 New York Times article about it.

Draeger knew immediately she wanted to recreate the journey from Manhattan to Coney Island. The East Village resident set a goal to complete the swim in 2010, on the 99th anniversary of Pitonof’s swim.

“I really didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it,” said Draeger, who owns and manages several apartment buildings.

Draeger trained for the swim for 12 months. She spoke to the Coast Guard about getting the necessary permits. She got her husband trained in kayaking so he could paddle alongside her and assist during the race.

Finally, on Aug. 13, 2010, Draeger jumped into the East River and started swimming.

The swim was brutal in parts and glorious in others, Draeger said.

When she started the race, the tide pushed against her. For the first hour and a half, she barely moved.

“And then I just zoomed underneath the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges,” she said. “Swimming under a bridge is incredibly fun.”

She crossed under the Verrazano and caught sight of the signature parachute jump at Coney Island.

The tide shifted as she approached Steeplechase Pier, and Draeger could feel it starting to push against her. So she pushed back.

Pitonof herself ran into trouble in that spot when she first attempted the swim in 1910, Draeger said. The young swimmer was forced to quit just a half-mile from the pier. It wasn't until the next year that she was able to complete the course.

“Fortunately, I was able to make it there,” Draeger said.

The fishermen along the pier kindly pulled their lures out of the water, and everyone watching burst into applause. The trip took her 8 hours and 20 minutes.

Draeger will not swim the 17-mile stretch again this year. Instead, she set her sights on a 56-mile race in South Africa, which she recently completed.

But she put the entire thing together and invited the participants, who include six swimmers, 12 kayakers and eight motorboat operators. The swimmers have successfully crossed the English Channel and circumnavigated the island of Manhattan, among other achievements.

Draeger also reached out to Pitonof’s living relatives. About a dozen of her family members will be at Coney Island on Saturday to help celebrate the 100th anniversary.

Although there have been problems recently with sewage dumped into the waterways around New York City, Draeger said she wasn't concerned about possible health effects. The tides change every six hours, which becomes like a cleansing process routinely flushing the water out to sea, she said.

The race is set to begin at 8:45 a.m. on Saturday. Visitors to the event’s website will be able to track the swimmers’ progress live online.