From a young age, my parents have told me that I could swim long before I could walk.  I would terrify the lifeguards by launching myself from the diving board at the age of 2 and swimming underwater to the wall.  It wasn’t too long after this that my parents enrolled me into USA Swimming.  From there the rest you can say is history.  I spent much of my childhood chasing the black line on the bottom of the pool.  This drive and competition lasted through college. 

After college, I thought it was necessary to find out what life had to offer away from the 8 pool lanes and the chlorinated water.  I explored the world and moved to many new places.  Upon my move to Oregon, I needed a way to meet new people.  I again returned to the pool and met fellow water enthusiasts.  It was like coming back home.  Not long after returning to the pool, I was in a training class and the question was posed to me.  “If you had all the time in the world, what would you do?”  My post-it note quickly was filled with “I’d swim the English Channel”.  Now I thought this was some joke.  It was as if my subconscious had taken over and written this goal down before I had a chance to argue.  Well, there it was and thus my marathon swimming career began.  From my first tentative strokes in cold open water, I knew I was hooked. I had found my passion.  I did successfully complete the English Channel for the first time in September 2007 and was the fastest American for the Channel Swimming Association in a time of 10 hours and 2 minutes.

I also began to learn that through my swimming I could help the lives of others.  I set a goal to raise $50,000 for Breast Cancer Research through my swimming.  Three years later and I’ve reached the halfway point and just like in my swimming I intend to put one arm in front of the other until my swimming dreams and fundraising goals are fulfilled. 

 

Open Water Swim Experience

2006:

• Lake Minnetonka Challenge (5 miles) – Minnetonka, MN
• Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles) – Ketchikan, AK

2007:

• Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim (1.5 miles) – San Francisco, CA
• Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles) – Ketchikan, AK
• English Channel (21 miles) – Dover, England

2008:

• Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (28.5 miles) – New York City, NY
• Boston Island Marathon Swim (8 miles) – Boston, MA
• Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles) – Ketchikan, AK
• Alcatraz Challenge (2 miles) – San Francisco, CA
• Catalina Channel (21 miles) – San Pedro, CA

2009:

• Lake Taupo Triple Relay Crossing (120k) – Taupo, New Zealand
• English Channel (21 miles) – Dover, England
• Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles) – Ketchikan, AK
• Monterey Bay Relay swim (25 miels) – Santa Cruz, CA

2010:

• Cook Strait (19 miles) – Wellington, NZ
• Clarence Strait (14.5 miles) – Ketchikan, AK
• Portland Bridge Swim (11 miles) – Portland, OR
• Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles) – Ketchkan, AK