Stuart McDougal tells the story of one of his swimmers, Rachel Griffin. “Rachel came to me to work on her stroke after tearing up her shoulder swimming around Manhattan Island and across the Catalina Channel. She worked hard to get more rotation and swinging her top-side arm away from her body, along with cortisone injections, helped. She was able to manage pain for long training swims.”
She was prepared and ready for the Channel, but like always, things happen out there.
McDougal continues, “After over 10 hours in the Channel, Rachel was fatigued. Her stroke flattened out, and she was experiencing extreme shoulder pain. It was becoming doubtful if she could even finish the swim. As she was thinking about pulling out, just at that moment, she was stung by a jellyfish. The jelly wrapped around her left injured shoulder and she had to peel it off.
“The burning pain was immense. And this sting only made her desperate situation go from really bad to even worse. But to her credit, she kept on stroking – albiet slowly and in immense pain.“
Just as things seemed to be going downhill fast, things sometimes miraculously happen in the open water.
Griffin’s crossing was one of those days.
McDougal recalled, “Then, just as suddenly, her shoulder pain was gone. It was like the jellyfish stings were a natural cortisone shot. It was amazing. She ultimately finished in 16 hours and some change, but she finished strong and in no pain.”
With her crossing, Griffin achieved the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
This comeback was only part of her journey – listen to her inspirational story above.
© 2025 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture past the shore“
World Open Water Swimming Federation, a human-powered project.