Sylvia Lacock’s Marathon Swim Story

I first met Sylvia Lacock in 2019 at the marina in Camp Richardson about an hour before I set off for my swim across the length of lake Tahoe. At the time I was impressed by her knowledge of the lake, thoroughness in covering safety, and professionalism as a pilot. Later I came to find out that Sylvia had a marathon swim story all her own – FINALLY I pinned her down to tell us all about it.

In her own words: I’m an adult-onset swimmer (33) now 50, with a few marathon swims completed, with the longest being a solo Catalina Channel in 2014. These days she spends more time at the helm as a USCG-licensed Captain and co-owner of Pacific Open Water Swim Co. with more than 2,000 hours per year piloting swimmers. Sylvia is currently working on her Master Captain’s License and teaching others to become licensed. She is an active member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Golden Gate Flotilla and board member for the Northern California Open Water Swimming Association and Lake Tahoe Open Water Swimming Association.