A Stroke of Skill:”Marlin Mike” to Circumnavigate Manhattan Island on August 8, 2026
August 3, 2026
Birch Bay, Washinton
Just keeps on stroking.
Twenty Bridges Swim Around Manhattan Island
Photo courtesy Nathaniel Johnston
After successfully completing his cross-Channel swim from England to France, my son, Mike “The Marlin” Hodel, celebrated his 49th birthday just last week. Now he’s preparing for his next endurance challenge.
This coming Saturday, August 8, Mike and his wife, Joyce, will travel to New York, where he will attempt the famed Twenty Bridges Swim—a demanding 28.5-mile circumnavigation of Manhattan Island.
Once in the water, “The Marlin” will pass beneath twenty bridges as he circles Manhattan and, as the old Rodgers and Hart song reminds us, have “Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island too.”
This Proud Papa will be following his son’s every stroke from afar and sending along a heartfelt pat on the back with one simple message:
Go, Mike!
Mike and Joyce Hodel, relaxing in Birch Bay a week before Mike’s Twenty Bridges Swim.
Enjoy this swim Marlin Mike…..no eels biting your belly and from listening to my dad, Tom’s conversations with other swimmers….a warmer swim than the Channel or CA PACIFIC waters. Swimmers have their own language when discussing their swims & locations👍. Steve, have already invited my Dad to our heavenly cocktail party for sure!! Hmm…..let’s choose a beachy location !! Go Mike🏊♂️🏊♂️!! Steve, stay well, stay safe & keep me posted🤗!