Mattapoisett swimmer makes a splash with top finish at Buzzards Bay event
Jun 30, 2022
Top swimmers Cristian Twyman of Mattapoisett, left, and Carlyn Soares of Boston celebrate their top finishes. Photos courtesy James Correia
At 13, Lazaro Rosa of Rochester was the youngest swimmer.
The event took swimmers into the bay along New Bedford’s South End, past the Butler Flats Lighthouse and New Bedford Hurricane Barrier.
A Mattapoisett swimmer registered the best time in the 29th annual Buzzards Bay Swim, held June 18 in New Bedford and Fairhaven.
Cristian Twyman of Mattapoisett completed the 1.2-mile swim with a time of 24 minutes and 30 seconds. He also swam for the day’s fastest team, URSoleshine, which was based in Mattapoisett.
Twyman edged Carlyn Soares of Boston, who registered a time of 24 minutes and 32 seconds.
The youngest swimmer in the field was Lazaro Rosa, 13, of Rochester.
Nearly 200 swimmers completed a scenic 1.2-mile point-to-point open water course from New Bedford’s South End, past the Butler Flats Lighthouse and New Bedford Hurricane Barrier, with a crowd of hundreds watching and cheering.
At the finish line at Fort Phoenix State Reservation in Fairhaven, swimmers and their guests were welcomed with a beach party featuring a steel drum band, pancakes cooked to order, local craft beer, and awards and prizes.
The swimmers, supported by 100 volunteers, raised $185,000 and counting to support the Buzzards Bay Coalition.
This annual event supports the Coalition’s work to ensure clean water in all Buzzards Bay communities, restore and protect watershed lands, and get people of all ages outside and engaged with their local environment. Supporters can still donate to the Buzzards Bay Swim by going to savebuzzardsbay.org/swim.
