Meet deSatnick Athletes Jim Catanoso, Zach Ruffo, and Nick Ceccoli

‍1. Tell us 3 things we should know about you.

Jim: 1.) I was born and raised here in Cape May County. 2.) I am a full time Real Estate Broker/Salesperson for deSatnick Real Estate who is the title sponsor of Escape the Cape 3.) Escape the Cape '24 was my first triathlon

Zach: 1.) have two wonderful little kids, Emilia & Luke! 2.) I specialize in helping people buy and sell real estate all throughout the Jersey Shore. 3.) Go Birds!

Nick: 1.) Married with two goldendoodles. 2.) First year as a real estate agent. 3.) Go Phillies

‍

‍2. What made you want to sign up for Escape the Cape '24?

Jim: I was one of the volunteers assisting the jumpers on the front of the boat the previous years, and I thought to myself after seeing all the people go through, why shouldn't I do this??

Zach: I wanted to push myself to do something that I have never done before. I consider myself to be pretty athletic and in good shape but taking part in a triathlon was something that I have never tried before and I knew it would challenge me.

Nick: Zach and Jimmy inspired me to join in on the training and get after it!

‍

3. What was your favorite part about the event?

Jim: Everything but the swim lol. It was a great time all around, the build up, the race, and the finish!

Zach: My favorite thing about the event was all of the support throughout the entire course from spectators and locals.

Nick: Jumping off the ferry!

‍

‍4. Was Escape the Cape '24 your first triathlon?

Jim: Yes, but not my last!

Zach: Yes ETC was my first but most likely will not be my last! I am looking forward to ETC 25 with an even bigger group of friends competing.

Nick: Yes it was and I loved it.

‍

5. What is your favorite race memory or race mantra?

Jim: Crossing the finish line and seeing family and coworkers! My mantra going in was "get comfortable being uncomfortable"

Zach: My favorite thing about the event was seeing my kids smiling and waving during the transition from the swim to the bike.

Nick: Getting cheered on by the whole deSatnick staff when I was coming through the race.

‍

6. What is one piece of advice you can give someone looking to take the leap in 2025?

Jim: Don't be afraid to test yourself and make sure you allow time for proper training!

Zach: My best advice is to just take the leap and sign yourself up and start training immediately. Don’t be intimidated. Push your limits and don’t worry about competing against anyone but yourself. And most importantly enjoy the journey of preparing for the race!

Nick: Practice swimming more than anything. That current is no joke.

‍

7. Will we see any deSatnick team members participating in 2025?

Jim: Definitely! We will be back and we are bringing others!

Zach: Oh yeah you will see some deSatnick members in 2025 for sure! I know we are looking to have a much bigger presence in the race this year.

Nick: Yes you will! I know Zach, Jimmy and I plan on doing it again and some others from our office look to do it too.

‍

‍We're excited to see who takes the leap with us in 2025 from the deSatnick Real Estate team!