Way back in 1985, Vasanti Niemz (69, Germany, MSF bio here, @vasanti.hd) completed her first crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 17 hours 1 minute.
In 2025, she completed the 20 Bridges Swim around Manhattan Island in New York City in 9 hours 34 minutes.
Yesterday, the multi-sport endurance athlete from Heidelberg, Germany and member of the International Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team completed an 18 hour 24 minute crossing of the Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula at the age of 69. With the support of Steve Sutton and Ryland Sutton as her escort kayakers, she become the oldest swimmer to achieve the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming – and only slightly behind the oldest man, Pat Marzulli, to cross the Catalina Channel who was 69 years and 312 days when he crossed it in 2018.
It took 41 years, but the German swimmer has never slowed down during that long interval, both on dryland and in the water.
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