Bill Shipp’s Marathon Swim Story

I met Bill Shipp on a boat in the middle of a lake somewhere north of the Canadian border. I can still remember the sun trying to warm us despite the brisk fall morning air and the surprising calm on the water. The pontoon boat was nearly swamped, as we were way over capacity, full of cold and tired swimmers and kayakers who had been brutally beaten by the wind and waves all night long. None of us were making it to the north tip of Lake Memphremagog this day (though many would go back to complete it!).

I’ll let Bill tell the rest of the story. As well as how to keep your cool during a marathon swim despite seeing your pilot under the hood of the boat as it’s sinking!

It’s a good one! Enjoy!

In his own words: Bill Shipp is a Maryland based marathon swimmer, having completed numerous open water swims since first crossing the Chesapeake Bay in 2006. Since then he has steadily increased the distance and difficulty of his marathon swims having successfully completed the Triple Crown of Open water swim in 2015. The Triple Crown consists of the English Channel; the Catalina Channel; and the circumnavigation of Manhattan Island.