About Us
Joseph Zemaitis
Open Water Swimming
Joe Zemaitis is currently one of the world’s most prolific Open Water Swimmers. He has the most documented miles swum in open water since 2018. He was the first person to complete the Triple Crown of Stage Swims (totaling over 300 Kilometers across 14 stages). He has twice been nominated as the Open Water Swimming Man of The Year (2020 and 2021). Some highlights include the World Record Longest Lake Swim (multi-segment) of 112K in 47 hours 23 minutes, the English Channel, Double Catalina Channel (42 miles), Double Circumnavigation of Manhattan (57 Miles), Loch Ness (22 miles), Double Seas of Galilee (25 miles), Double Round Trip Angel Island (20 Miles( and many others. A full list of documented open water swims is here
Coaching
With sixteen years of competitive swimming experience and international accolades as a Pro Triathlete, Joe Zemaitis brings a lifetime of experience in competitive sports to his work with young people. Joe’s philosophy is rooted in the firm belief that every child has a genius—a natural talent that, when recognized and unlocked, paves the way to a lifetime of success.
In 2002, Joe launched Swim Neptune, a year-round competitive USA Swimming Club that has grown to include seven locations across the Phoenix metro area and rural Arizona and continues to nurture young swimmers in pursuit of their competitive goals. Swim Neptune placed 6th at Junior Nationals West in 2021 (men). 1st Place combined and 1st place Men’s team at 2022 Northwest Sectional meet. Arizona Senior State Champions in 2021 and 2022 (Men’s and Combined) and seven Age Group State Championships since 2010.
He was twice selected by the American Swim Coaches Association as the Arizona Swim Coach of the Year. Swim Neptune swimmers have set over 75 Arizona Age Group State Records and recorded over 200 USA Swimming Age Group Top 10 time in the past twelve years.
In 2006 Joe coach Braxton Bilbrey (then age 7) to be the youngest to swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco. Braxton’s goal was the foundation of the Swim For Aquatic Safety and Training (Swim FAST) an event conducted each year since 2007 by the Neptune Swimming Foundation to raise money for water safety and drowning prevention efforts. The theme of the event is Escape Your Limitations and has seen hundreds of young swimmers age 9 to 18 swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco, then the next day across the Golden Gate Bridge.
Joe is also the current Admin Vice Chair and incoming General Chair of Arizona Swimming. He is the Chairman of the International Ice Swimming USA. He has swum the Ice Mile (swum a mile under 41 degrees). He as a 4x All American and 2x Junior National Champion in Triathlon, representing the USA in ten world Championship events. At 18, he was the youngest to ever break ten hours at the Ironman Hawaii.
Joe enjoys traveling around the world. He has been to six continents and thirty Countries including competing in fifteen of them. He runs every day and has an active streak of over 2,350 days where he has run a least 20 minutes a day.
John Zemaitis
Open Water Swimming
John Zemaitis is currently one of the World’s most prolific Open Water Swimmers. He was nominated as the Open Water Swimming Man of The Year in 2020. Some highlights include the English Channel, Double Circumnavigation of Manhattan (57 Miles), Loch Ness (22 miles), Double Seas of Galilee (25 miles), Catalina Channel, and many others. He was the first man to swim the 25 Mile width of Monterey Bay in 2019. In 2015 he won the Lake Zurich Marathon Swim overall. A full list of documented open water swims is here
John was a standout performer in the pool. He was an All-American swimmer in high school and Arizona State High School Champion in the 200 Freestyle. He qualified for the USA Swimming Summer Nationals in the 200 Freestyle. He was a scholarship athlete at Arizona State University and qualified for the B Finals at the PAC-10 Championship in multiple events.
John graduated from the Arizona State University School of Engineering with a degree in Construction Management, he worked as a contractor for Chevron in Nigeria for 12 years, and currently owns a small residential/commercial construction business.
John assists with the Neptune Swimming Foundation’s Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge Swims. John enjoys traveling around the world and has been to five continents and twenty-five countries. One of his claims to fame is that he has eaten at McDonalds in nineteen different countries. He want to visit and swim in Antarctica.
