Evolutionarily I understand that we were drawn to cross bodies of water for resources, but why are we drawn to swim across them? Marathon Swimming in it’s purest form is a reproduction of Captain Webb’s feat to cross the English Channel in 1876. Mind you, Captain Webb is described as a stuntman and later died attempting a dangerous swim in […]
Hello Marathon Swim Story listeners! In today’s episode I talk with Ice Mermaid, Melissa Kegler. After an unremarkable English Channel success, Melissa took stock of her Triple Crown and wondered what she really wanted from her swimming. This has led to a newfound appreciation for the pristine waters of the Pacific Northwest the mountains, the old growth forests, and the […]
Have you seen the posts in the open water Facebook groups where people share images from their GPS watch displaying shapes, figures, sometimes letters, some people can spell out entire words in cursive! Mind you, they can’t see what their drawing until they are done with their swim… Well, as far as I’m concerned, Melodee Leigel invented the sport of […]
I always talk with my clients about marathon swims being events. Not races. They are milestones in our life, like getting married, or having kids… They become part of our being. A source of pride, a reminder of what we are capable of in tough times. But what if that event involved a close call with a squaliform that landed […]
In today’s episode I spoke with Diego Lopez. He grew in the Canary Islands, where swimming is part of the culture. Diego shares with us how the Global Swimmer project was born. Endeavoring to swim a major event on each of the seven continents in a single year presents many challenges – but maybe not the ones that you think! […]
An endurance enthusiast, Mary Stella came to marathon swimming by way of endurance triathlon. No stranger to suffering for 14 or 16 hours at a stretch, Mary isn’t sure she’s proud of her swimming accomplishments… perhaps she just hasn’t swam long enough yet! Coming to prefer the sensory deprivation of the water environment, it’s the suffering she’s really after. Truly… […]
Today we found out more about how Stephen Rouch, who was the subject of my first Deep Dive Marathon Swim Story episode back in January, gained confidence to go for a 50 mile double crossing of Lake Memphremagog in 2019. If you haven’t heard it, be sure to listen to or watch the retelling of Stephen’s big swim! A childhood […]
Lately I’ve spent some time with my kids looking at a globe, “if you fly over it, can you see the border?” they ask. No. These are lines drawn by man. Man argues, wars, and discriminates over lines, I tell them. As today’s guest, Melinda Menzer says, “you can’t fence in the water”, and she loves swimming across those silly […]
In this episode of Marathon Swim Stories, we hear from Kellie Latimer. We talk about swamped kayaks, embracing the process, the realities of living in a COVID-19 hot spot and so much more! In her own words: Kellie learned how to swim in the chilly waters of Casco Bay, Maine. After 15 years competing in the pool and a brief […]
Have you ever wondered why swimmers swim marathons? How they handle hard situations? What motivates them to keep going? Catch the replay of Marathon Swim Stories with Elaine Howley! In her own words: Elaine K. Howley is a life-long swimmer who began marathon swimming in 2006 with the 8-mile Boston Light Swim. She has since completed the Triple Crown of […]