About Steven Munatones

Timeline of Professional and Athletic Milestones

1988-1990: Worked with the JET Program at Kokusai Joho High School in Shiga Prefecture

July 1988: Participated in the Atami Open Water Swim in Atami Prefecture

July 1989: Swam 42 kilometers across Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture in 10 hours 36 minutes, televised by NHK-TV Sunday Sports Time

July 1990: Swam 19.5 kilometers across the Tsugaru Strait from Tappi Misaki in Aomori Prefecture to Matsumae in Hokkaido in 6 hours 11 minutes,  televised by Asahi-TV.  Received a Guinness World Record. Swam 19.5 kilometers across the Tsugaru Strait from Matsumae in  Hokkaido to Tappi Misaki in Aomori Prefecture I in 6 hours 39 minutes, televised by Asahi-TV

April 1991-July 1996: Worked as engineer for  Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. in Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture

July 1992: Completed the 52 km Mount Fuji Triathlon Challenge in 5 hours 17 minutes when he swam across Lake Yamanaka, Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Sai, Lake Shoji, and Lake Motosu.  Then climbed Mount Fuji the next day.

August 1993: Wrote cover story for Swimming World Magazine at the 1993 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Kobe

October 1993: Swam 38 kilometers between Ishigaki Island, Iriomote Island, and Taketomi Island in Okinawa Prefecture in 10 hours 16 minutes, televised by NHK-TV

October 1994: Swam 29 kilometers around Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture in 7 hours 8 minutes, televised by NHK-TV

1998-2000: Served as CEO of TOTO Frontier USA

July 2001: Coached USA Swimming National Team at the 2001 FINA World Championships in Fukuoka Prefecture

July 2002: Coached USA Swimming National Team at the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Yokohama

June 2008: Created the Oceans Seven, a global channel swimming challenge that includes the Tsugaru Strait.  The Oceans Seven is subject of several documentary films and books in English, German, Spanish, Hungarian, and Swedish

July 2012: Assisted Stephen Redmond of Ireland across the Tsugaru Channel

July 2012: Assisted Darren Miller of USA across the Tsugaru Channel

July 2023: Assisted Mark Sowerby of Australia across the Tsugaru Channel

August 2024: Assisted Olympian Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria across the Tsugaru Channel

July 2025: Assisted Olympian Andreas Waschburger of Germany across the Tsugaru Channel

July 2025: Assisted Olympian Rob Woodhouse of Australia across the Tsugaru Channel

August 2025: Planning for Swim Shikoku and Swim Shodoshima

bio photo #1
bio photo #2
bio photo #3
bio photo #4
bio photo #5
bio photo #6
bio photo #7
bio photo #8

His Son Skyler Saved His Life.

Skyler Munatones, a 17-year-old high school senior, was heading off to school when his father hit the floor, out cold with no beating heart, gurgling with his eyes rolled back in his head. Skyler started hands-only CPR and kept him alive.
Skyler Munatones, a 17-year-old high school senior, was heading off to school when his father hit the floor, out cold with no beating heart, gurgling with his eyes rolled back in his head. Skyler started hands-only CPR and kept him alive.
He experienced a ventricular fibrillation arrest, atypical thrombus (clot) and a MI (myocardial infarction) in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, otherwise known as a widow maker heart attack.
He experienced a ventricular fibrillation arrest, atypical thrombus (clot) and a MI (myocardial infarction) in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, otherwise known as a widow maker heart attack.
He did not remember anything for 9 days - a complete erasure of his memory. When the doctor told his wife that he may emerge from the coma with several neurological damage, she never lost faith in his ability to recover.
He did not remember anything for 9 days - a complete erasure of his memory. When the doctor told his wife that he may emerge from the coma with several neurological damage, she never lost faith in his ability to recover.
Hands-only CPR continued for 20 minutes until he was taken to the local hospital where a stent was placed in his heart. His body temperature was reduced to induce hypothermia to reduce brain damage.
Hands-only CPR continued for 20 minutes until he was taken to the local hospital where a stent was placed in his heart. His body temperature was reduced to induce hypothermia to reduce brain damage.
After being released from the hospital, he made a point to meet the paramedics who treated him and drove him to the hospital. When he knocked at the fire station door and explained who he was, the firefighter remembered him and said, "Dude, you were dead. Thank you for coming. We never know what happens to people when we drop them at the ER."
After being released from the hospital, he made a point to meet the paramedics who treated him and drove him to the hospital. When he knocked at the fire station door and explained who he was, the firefighter remembered him and said, "Dude, you were dead. Thank you for coming. We never know what happens to people when we drop them at the ER."
In a search to recover, he underwent all kinds of testing and learned more about this physiological potential.
In a search to recover, he underwent all kinds of testing and learned more about this physiological potential.
He visited cardiologists across the country to understand what happened to him and why he had the heart attack. They tested him in all kinds of ways and ultimately he learned to sleep more and try to reduce his stress levels.
He visited cardiologists across the country to understand what happened to him and why he had the heart attack. They tested him in all kinds of ways and ultimately he learned to sleep more and try to reduce his stress levels.
As an expression of his deep gratitude, he has volunteered to the American Heart Association and shares his story.
As an expression of his deep gratitude, he has volunteered to the American Heart Association and shares his story.

Steven Munatones Swimming Highlights

Unprecedented Crossing of Tsugaru Channel between Honshu and Hokkaido

Munatones swam from Tappi Misaki in Aomori to Hokkaido and then from Hokkaido back to Tappi Misaki. His times for both crossings, set in 1990, still stand as of 2025. Televised by Asahi TV. Guinness World Record.

Victory at the SCAR Swim Challenge

Munatones won the 64 km SCAR Swim Challenge over an international field of accomplished marathon swimmers in 2022. He came back in 2023 and swam the fourth fastest time in history.
Studio-Project (19)

Cayman Islands Channel Crossing

Munatones pioneered a channel crossing of The Bogue from Cayman Brac to Little Cayman Island in the Cayman Islands together with Lexie Kelly

Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim

Munatones pioneered the 24 km Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim in Southern California in 6 hours 1 minute. A month later, he pioneered the swim in the other direction, finishing in 6 hours 35 mnutes.

Unprecedented swim across Lake Biwa

Munatones was the first – and remains the only – person to swim 42 km across Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. Televised by NHK-TV, broadcast on Sunday Sports Time

World Championships and 2008 Beijing Olympics

Munatones coached 9 USA Swimming national open water swim teams between 2001 and 2009 at the World Championships and was a NBC-TV commetator at the 2008 Beijing Olympics marathon swim.

Five Lakes of Mount Fuji Triathlon

Munatones swam across the Five Lakes of Mount Fuji, then either ran or biked between each lake, and then hiked from the base of Mount Fuji to the summit on the next day. The first time in history such a feat was attempted and completed.

Okinawa Triangle Swim

Munatones swam a 38 km triangle course between Ishigaki Island, Iriomote Island, and Taketomi Island in Okinawa – the first time in history such a feat was attempted and completed, televised by NHK-TV.

Yonaguni Island Circumnavigation Swim

Munatones swam 29 km entirely around Yonaguni Island in Okinawa, swimming over numerous schools of hammerhead sharks – the first time in history it was attempted and completed, televised by NHK-TV.

Windermere International Championships

Munatones won the 25 km Windermere International Championships, a quadrennial event that attracted accomplished marathon swimmers from around the world.