Elisabeth Starr’s Marathon Swim Story

I virtually met Elisabeth Starr through an email with the subject, “I’m a marathon swimmer now! Thanks to you.”

While I was flattered that Elisabeth wanted to credit me for her accomplishment,  I know well that she did the work to become a marathon swimmer. But I’m grateful that Marathon Swim Stories was part of her journey.

I hope you enjoy Elisabeth’s story!

In her own words:

Elisabeth grew up swimming and snorkeling in rivers but didn’t put on a pair of goggles until her late twenties when she learned to swim for a triathlon. After taking a swimming class at her local community college, she was recruited as a distance swimmer for their women’s swim team. Over the course of two years she developed technique and stamina, eventually dropping 7 minutes from her first mile time.

In 2020, during the pandemic, Elisabeth started swimming frequently in the San Francisco Bay. Annoyed with the trouble of caring for a wetsuit, she just let it go.  After an inspiring trip to Tahoe she found Marathon Swim Stories, the wealth of information she needed to make the jump to longer swims. In July 2021 she completed her first marathon swim across the True Width of lake Tahoe. 

Elisabeth continues to reside in San Francisco, California with her three kids. She is a full time math student and when she’s not doing homework, hanging out with her kids, or training for triathlons, she is goofing off in the water.