In a little over ten years, Joe and John Zemaitis have completed over a hundred documented swims each. No other marathon swimmer has been as prolific. Those familiar with the sport have found themselves continually impressed with the variety of their achievements, ranging from Joe’s 112 km Lake Roosevelt swim, which set a world record for longest multi-segment lake swim, to cold water challenges they have both achieved (e.g., North Channel, Monterey Bay). They completed marathon swims on all six continents in six days (2023) and each of the fifty states in the USA (2022).
On March 27, 2024, the duo completed a 15.2 kilometer swim in Lago Titicaca in 5 hours, 25 seconds, pending ratification by the MSF documented swims review team. Situated between Peru and Bolivia, at 12,500 feet altitude, this is the highest navigable lake in the world. Previous swims here have been infrequent and include only one known traditional marathon distance swim (Lynne Cox, 1991).
The Zemaitis brothers pioneered a route in Copacabana, Bolivia, which took them from Hotel Onkel Inn to Templo del Sol. They described the water as, “super clear and clean from start to finish.” Temperatures were a consistent 60.8 to 61.0 Fahrenheit, and they noted that the high altitude sun made the 68 degree air feel warmer than usual.
They arrived just the day before the swim, a strategy often used by endurance athletes to avoid high altitudes taking their toll before an event even begins. It appears to have worked, since they reported that although their pace was 5-10% slower, their stroke rates were normal and they did not find themselves troubled much by the altitude.
In their swim documentation, they note, “Anyone looking for an amazing ‘adventure swim’ this is it. John and I agree that it was one of the best we have ever done.” After the completion of this swim, The Zemaitis Brothers have just one swim left to go (Lake Ontario) to become the first to complete the Stillwater Eight challenge (created by Michelle Macy). In addition, Lago Titicaca is the Zemaitis Brothers’ fourth swim on the Toughest Thirteen list (created by Evan Morrison).
Full documentation of their swim is published here.
by Jessica Kieras
