Celebrating 20 years this year (2024), The Jim Mullen Challenge was initiated in 2004 to honor Jim Mullen’s annual goal to complete the Save The Bay Swim in his age or less, after he passed in 2003.
“We came up with swimmers challenging themselves to swim across the Bay in the number of minutes that’s equal to or less than their age,” says Jim’s wife, Ruth. “Jim was an outdoor swimmer and loved doing the circuit of the outdoor swims, although Save The Bay was the first one and always his favorite.”
“My husband trained for swims, really all year long, and it was always a big day in our house,” says Ruth. “I would go support him, and it was about the Swim at first and then I began to learn about the organization, and what the Swim really stood for. The Swim was a highlight of the year.”
Winners who make the challenge receive a special limited Jim Mullen Challenge t-shirt that says I Swam My Age (Or Less) and lists all the names and times of the successful participants. To sign up, swimmers chose The Jim Mullen Challenge when they register for the Swim.
“Jim had done the swim for 9 years prior to 2003 and in memory of him, knowing how important that Swim and Save The Bay were to him, I sat down with STB the following year and said what can we do to commemorate him?”
Swimmers say that one of the things that is fun about the challenge is as you get older, you can eventually grow into it, which is exactly what happened with Jim, who began swimming the STB swim in his 40s.
Jim trained with Kent County YMCA Coach Joe Cervacowski for years, which would keep his head in the game as he was training for the Swim, according to Ruth. In 2003, he was 53 years old and he made it across the bay in 53 minutes and 18 seconds.
That was the first time he had actually achieved that goal, says Ruth. “I said ‘you made it, 53 minutes’ and he said ‘no I didn’t, it was 53 minutes and 18 seconds.’ He never really admitted to himself or agreed with the fact that he had achieved it, but in my mind he did. That was the beginning of it.”
Because Swimming is a singular sport, you’re competing really against yourself and the elements, observes Ruth, who has served on the Save The Bay’s finance committee and also completed several Virtual Swims herself. “This was kind of a way to set a goal for yourself and get through those months in January and February and March when you’re not very happy about training. And open water swimmers don’t like to swim in pools.”
