Judge, Rockville Centre resident completes fourth NY triathlon

Supreme Court Judge Peter Skelos, a resident of Rockville Centre, finished 14th in his age group at the Aquaphor triathlon on July 8 in New York City. The race, comprised of a 1.5-kilometer swim in the Hudson River, a 40-kilometer bike ride along the West Side Highway and a 10-kilometer run in Central Park, was his fourth triathlon in New York.

A competitive swimmer in high school and then at Emory University in Georgia, Skelos moved into triathlons during the eighties. “I guess I watched the Ironman on TV and said, ‘Oh I want to do that’,” Skelos said.

At that time, triathlons were new in the racing world and usually involved longer swimming legs, Skelos explained. He finished his first triathlon in Northport on Long Island in 1982, calling his participation in the event a “natural segway.”

Now in his 31st year of triathlon training, his enthusiasm for racing has not waned. “Competing is always exciting,” he said.

According to Skelos, his training now focuses more on biking and running. He often trains with groups of people, going out for runs in town with other Rockville Centre residents. Recently, he rode 108 miles out to Montauk at the tip of the island.

“I do something all year long,” he said. “Training for and competing in triathlons is a relaxing diversion from work and campaigning for re-election to [the] N.Y. State Supreme Court.”

The Aquaphor is now in its 12th year and has become increasingly popular and competitive. This summer, more than 3,000 athletes from 44 states and 10 counties participated in the race.

In 2010, Skelos finished 8th in his age group — marking his best finish. Last year, he deferred his admittance into the 2011 Aquaphor due to health issues that prevented him from feeling up to the competition. Instead, he took a week in France to bike a portion of the Tour de France route.

This year, he was able to complete his fourth triathlon in New York with the support of family and friends. His wife, Faith, and daughters Alexis and Daphne always accompany him to races, Skelos said. They joined him for the weekend, going out to dinner the night before the competition and staying overnight in the city.

Skelos has also completed six marathons and hundreds of other street races. Although the Ironman may now be out of reach, triathlons are something he hopes to continue.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to make it [to Ironman],” he said. “But I hope to do this for the very long foreseeable future.”