24 hour Bay Relay

I stood on Alcatraz and sharks circled beneath me. It was cold, gray, and clouds circled overhead. Suddenly, the island rocked…

Cold water swimming

A couple weekends ago, I had my first experience of hypothermia. It had been 2 weeks since my last Bay swim and I jumped…

600 miles+ of swimming and 10 pounds heavier

I’ve gained and maintained my goal weight of 145 pounds. I haven’t weighed this…

9 months and 5 pounds to go

Have you ever jumped into a lake or ocean and was immediately short of breath? Your chest tightens and you…

Pier 39

I watched my teammates in orange caps call for distress. Each one getting picked up one by one as the white caps grew larger — anxiously…

Brink of France

On July 20, 2018, I will embark on a 21-mile English Channel swim from the Cliffs of Dover in England to Cap Gris-Nez in France…

What is marathon swimming?

A marathon swim is at least 10km (6.2 mi), using only a swimsuit (no wetsuit), non-neoprene cap, goggles, and grease. This distance was chosen for equivalence in time-to-completion to a 26.2-mi marathon run. By this standard, the English Channel is equivalent to 3+ marathons or what I like to call…

3-hr Golden Gate Bridge swim

Boston Bucket List

I made a “bucket list” of what I hoped to accomplish during my PhD (2009–2013) and post-PhD (2013-present).

Pool vs. Open Water Swimming

My alarm buzzes at 7:30am. I lay in bed, groggy, and tired. Yesterday my 27-min dip in the 50-degree Bay wore…