Exclusive | I swam 29 miles around Manhattan in handcuffs — I had no idea the danger I was in until I finished
It keeps news readers guessing whether the man is simply an endurance athlete or a man on a mission. Michael Moreau doesn’t have a crime on his record, but after September, he certainly deserved a break.
#### The challenge
In September he plunged from the southern tip of Manhattan, then swam out the East River, pushed through Harlem and headed down the Hudson to finish the 28.5‑mile loop that circles the island. He did it all in handcuffs and in under ten hours.
That daring act earned him two Guinness World Records— one for the longest open‑water swim in shackles, the other for becoming the first swimmer to circle Manhattan’s waterways while restrained.
#### Why did he do it?
“Why do anything?” asked Capri Djatiasmoro, a marathon swimmer who had tackled the same 20‑Bridge Swim on her 63rd birthday. She says the rush of open water feels as illicit as the steel on his wrists. Even so, Moreau’s motivation was far from a kink; it was a mix of nautical curiosity, unfinished business and a drive to test extreme limits.
When he heard stories of people who never gave up on pushing boundaries, he wondered: “Why can’t I do this thing?” That sparked a quest to discover his true potential, and he realized it would have to happen in water.
#### Born to be in the water
Moreau, a creative director on land, was a swimmer from the start. His parents remember that he could swim before he could walk, and he told them, in his toddler voice, that living in water was his destiny.
He excelled in high‑school and college, winning national titles and setting records that still stand. Yet for almost two decades he left the pool behind.
It was only in his mid‑fifties that the lure of the ocean returned. Influenced by freestylers like Diana Nyad and Ross Edgley, he felt there was more out there to conquer.
He chose ultramarathon open‑water swimming—non‑pool, nonstop swims beyond 10 kilometers—so he could test himself far from the familiar walls of a pool, with currents, tides, wildlife and logistical challenges like coordinating with boat traffic. He hired a coach, put his social life on hold and aimed for the daunting Molokai Channel swim in Hawaii: a 42 kilometer open‑water race through deep, choppy seas.
In 2024 he completed that marathon in 13 hours and 11 minutes, the 14th fastest time ever, but he wanted something even more controversial. Handcuffs.
The idea came to him when he saw Egyptian swimmer Shehab Allam’s record in shackles from 2022. A question surfaced: “If 90 % of propulsion comes from the arms, how does someone swim without using them?” He decided it was a technical challenge— the best way to answer it would be to rely heavily on his breaststroke kick and choose the city of his dreams for the next attempt.
#### Preparing for a new record
Moreau’s training was brutal. He ran up to 65,000 yards a week—roughly 37 miles—while wearing a silicone ring that simulated the restrictions of handcuffs. He lived near a 25‑yard, 24‑hour pool, practiced on the rough seas off Coney Island, and faced endless self‑doubt. “People think I’m doing a weird drill,” he said, “but I keep pushing.”
When the day arrived—September 9, 2025—his crew spanned from a fellow ultramarathon swimmer to his sister, a boat captain, a kayaker and a Guinness World Records official. They guided him from Hell Gate, through the tricky shallow waters of Harlem, to the Hudson, where construction currents threatened a barge. His sprint‑kick propelled him beyond the 10‑hour mark, finishing in 9 hours and 41 minutes.
He reflected on the achievement: “It was the culmination of absurd doubt and the realization that I could make the impossible real.” He emerged with dual Guinness plaques, a bout of cellulitis (treated and healed), and a message: “There’s no limit to how big you can dream. You should never stop doing that.”
Moreau hasn’t announced his next quest yet. The world just knows he’s one of the few who can swim the New York island ‘locked up’ in handcuffs, and he’s proof that determined people can turn any barrier into a possibility.
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