There are times when the water at the SCAR Swim Challenge, a 4-day stage swim in the Arizona desert backcountry, can drop as low at 11°C. It is not often and it is not for long periods, but the water temperatures at the start of each reservoir can be a bit chilly.

But those low water temperatures will not stop Sara Maria Palacios Rodriguez (Ecuador, 38, @sarademar7mares, MSF bio here, IISA bio here). She is one of only five registered swimmers with the International Ice Swimming Association – along with Carlos Manzo (29, IISA bio here), Elizabeth Culcay (35, IISA bio here), Sarah Elizabeth Najera Espinosa (33, IISA bio here), and Tam Hirst (59, IISA bio here). She has been the only swimmer from Ecuador to complete a 35 km cold-water crossing of the North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 14 hours 51 minutes – for which she was recognized by the Ecuadorean Swimming Federation.

2025 SCAR Swimmers

• Alain Simac (42, France, @alainsimac): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here, IISA bio here
• Amy Ennion (28, England): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Amy Mazur (62, USA, @amygmazur): Lake Tahoe width here
• Chaz Moody (USA)
• Christina MacDougall (USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Edie Markovich (18, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Erika Beauchamp (50, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Haley Chasin (27, USA, @chasin1997): Double Roughwater here
• Ildiko Szekely (41, Hungary, @swimplifly): Weekend Warrior here
• Isaac Vernon (USA, @themakomethod):
• Jamie Tout (71, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Jason Heavens (Canada): English Channel attempt here
• Jen Farrell (USA, @teamfuber):
• Jennifer Murphy (USA):
• Julie Boxsell (53, Australia): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Juliet Kadlecek (55, USA, @julietkad): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here, IISA bio here
• Karen Nixon (57, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Kristiana Fox (46, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Lauren Byron (49, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Madison Carioty (USA):
• Maggie Regan (USA): Interview here
• Michael Silk (USA): TransBay Swim here
• Mike Gregory (61, Australia): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Mo Siegel (72, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Natalie Merrow (USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Peter Hayden (66, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Ryan Stille (51, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Sara Maria Palacios Rodriguez (38, Ecuador, @sarademar7mares): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here, IISA bio here
• Sara Wolf (55, US): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Stefan Reinke (66, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Steve Gruenwald (62, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Susan McKay (45, Canada): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here, IISA bio here
• Tara Grout (52, Australia): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Golda Marcus (42, El Salvador, @goldafish): 2-time Olympic swimmer (2004 & 2008)
• Kerianne Brownlie (31, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Matthew Szachta (USA:
• Mike Healey (USA):
• Deborah Gardner (65, USA): USMS bio here
• Felicia Bianchi (61, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Marin Jackson (37, USA): USMS bio here
• Mark Spratt (68, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here, IISA bio here
• Amy Frick (57, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Claire Russell (62, England): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here, IISA bio here
• Emily Evans (48, USA: Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here
• Heather Fairbanks (56, USA): Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here

For more information, visit www.scarswim.com.

Steven Munatones described the event, “SCAR, set in the dry, rugged American southwest desert of Arizona, is no longer under the radar. The secret has long been out about the out-of-the-way 4-day stage swim that focuses on camaraderie rather than competition, passion rather than pressure. Swimmers from around the world have discovered the joy and challenge of swimming across wind-whipped lakes where flexibility and recovery play just as important elements as do feeds and navigation. Set along four majestic reservoirs on the Salt River amid the desert wild, Kent has organized an incredible adventure that started out as a rogue swim by locals. SCAR is a physical test and a psychological challenge that remains tough, but is made easier by the other participants.“

© 2025 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

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