Marathon swimmers come from all walks of life. Some start as tots, others find their passion midlife. Whether you’re a seasoned marathon swimmer, aspiring, or just intrigued, something can be learned from the stories of these remarkable endurance athletes.
It’s “the loneliest place in extreme sport, ” says Cliff Golding, “that moment when you’re standing in nothing but a swimsuit, cap, and goggles on the beach with your arm up waiting and waiting and waiting for the klaxon to go off. You’re full of nerves and everything you’ve done up to that point as led to that moment.” It […]
In this episode I talk to Katie Blair shortly after returning home to Indiana from her 29 hour and 10 minutes in the St Lucia channel, swimming from St Lucia, to Martinique, and back… almost! Her longest stint in the water, she faced jellyfish stings and salt tongue, and initially felt okay with her accomplishment, but two weeks later, she’s […]
A fellow marathon swimming mom, Tracy Knight discovered that there might be something to this distance stuff shortly before having kids. Her clue was that she completed more distance in an hour than fellow swimmers who would smoke her in practice! Thank you US Masters ePostals! After completing her first 5K she didn’t hesitate to make the jump to the […]
When I ask my Marathon Swim Story guests for a short bio, sometimes people send me a link to their Long Swims database entry. You won’t find one for today’s guest, but Marlys has an unparalleled drive to find her next big swim, and her rampant swim adventuring is something that I aspire to. Marlys and I share a passion […]
John Kenny says, “I started doing all of this stuff when I was a kid”. Rather than getting over fears of open water and finding out that he can swim further, I love how he describes his parents having to get over the fact that he was going to swim no matter what. Growing up near Atlantic City, John shares […]
When I moved to the idyllic hamlet of Talent, Oregon about 8 years ago, I was quickly adopted by my new swim family and have been lovingly supported and encouraged as I pursue marathon swims… but no one wants to swim as far as I do. That changed about a year ago when I was excitedly greeted at swim practice, […]
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 […]
Today’s guest is a fellow coach who I found out shares my birthday. I loved hearing Craig Lewin’s Marathon Swim Story. Now a triple crown finisher, Craig was one of the first Americans to travel to England earlier this year despite the pandemic and the 14 day quarantine period in order to successfully swim across the English Channel. As Craig […]
In this exemplary episode of Marathon Swim Stories I chatted with Lyn Goldsmith – at 50 she decided to start kayaking. She loved supporting marathon swimmers as the trekked around Manhattan. While a lifelong water lover, she never considered swimming herself until a transformative experience swimming in a lake in Maine in her 60’s. She tells us about her journey […]
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 […]