Fifteen-year-old Jack Unsworth does his speaking in the water.
The shy Wanganui High School student spanked the field in yesterday's 3km Wanganui Bridge-to-Bridge swim, winning by 1min 32sec from another Wanganui swimmer, Joel Martin.
Former Wanganui man Bruce Walker, swimming out of Auckland, came home third another 70sec back.
Unsworth finished second last year to Matthew Glover, and he was probably glad that Glover could not get to Wanganui in time for this year's race after swimming in the recent Australian open water championships.
A member of Jane Lowe's Wanganui Swim Team, Unsworth said he prepared with swims six times a week in the early mornings, doing between 200 and 250 lengths each time, "and an hour to an hour-and-a-half each time".
And he said he set himself for this year's event after last year's defeat.
Unsworth's preference is for the distance swimming rather than the short course. Mum Sharon said there was at one stage a thought about swimming Cook Strait.
First woman home was Wellington's Vanessa Young, who recorded 45min 40sec to be fifth across the line.
About 30 started, down on last year because of the later date.
Local schoolboy leaves river rivals in his wake
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