Bridget Simpson’s Marathon Swim Story

Bridget Simpson thought the ocean was for playing in and didn’t get into open water swimming until later in life, as a mom. She set her sights on a charity swim across the width of Lake Champlain, strategically increasing her distance from 2, 4, and then completed the 8 mile Shore to Shore Lake Champlain swim.

She quickly realized that even though she wasn’t fast, she could swim forever. Commonly distracted by the beauty of being out in the middle of a gorgeous lake, Bridget loves swimming at all times of the day night and commonly swims solo. Shortly after getting disqualified for missing the time cut off in the Lake George Open Water swim 10K at Hague, she set her sights on competing the 36 mile length of the lake. I’ll let Bridget tell the story.

Enjoy!

In her own words: I do not come from a swim team background, other than one semester in high school.  I’ve taught and guarded for years, but only in recent years has pool swimming become a part of my training, and largely for off season prep for meets, which I was finally brave enough to try in 2016.  Even so, I enjoy the company of swimmers, enjoy events, and like locker room chat about goals and such, but am not drawn to the daily workout with a team more typical of Masters swimmers. I swim with a group for a mile weekly or a few times a week in the summer, and can share a lane with anyone, but most of my swimming is solo.  I decide as I go what I will do and how far.