for Point-to-Point Race

WESTPORT, Conn. – A popular summer tradition keeps getting bigger and bigger. The Westport/Weston Family Y's Point-to-Point Swim attracted more than 200 swimmers to Compo Beach on Sunday in its 33rd year.

The mile-long swim has become a shared experience across generations in Westport. Swimmers ranged in age from 10 to 76 and included some high school varsity swimmers as well as their parents looking for exercise.

The race expands every year largely by word of mouth. It has kept its largely local flavor with the majority of swimmers hailing from Fairfield County, but sprinkled in the mix were some who came from as far as Maryland, Virginia and even Australia.

"It's a small race in the heart of Westport, and we keep it low key, but people find us and love it," Westport Y Director of Aquatics Jacquie Tumminia said. "It's great because some people are in it to win it, but others are just here for a fun swim and exercise."

While some swimmers prefer to take the mile course at a leisurely pace, many were out to beat the field. Trevor Healy of New Canaan won his second local open water swim in as many days after winning the Greenwich Tod's Point race Saturday. Healy, a senior at Colgate, finished in 15:15 — and he had just found out about the race the day before.

"Yeah, a friend of mine I swam with yesterday [in Greenwich] told me about it. This is really nice, and it's a fun environment," Healy said. "I swam for the Y when I was younger, and I know it's a great community organization, and I'm glad to support it."

Recent Staples graduate Molly Loftus was the first female swimmer to finish with a time of 17:09. A captain on the Wreckers swim team, Loftus is bound for the University of Tennessee to swim in NCAA Division I.

The entries fees collected go to the Y Strong Kids Campaign, which raises money for local underprivileged children.

Did you swim in the Point-to-Point Race on Sunday or in years past? Share your memories below!

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