Chapman University coach Carly Miller (47, USA, MSF bio here) has a prolific marathon swimming resume that includes a 19.6 km Anacapa Channel crossing in 7 hours 19 minutes, a 19.2 km Lake Tahoe widthwise crossing in 6 hours 19 minutes, a 32.2 km Catalina Channel crossing in 12 hours 47 minutes, a 34.2 km Lake Tahoe lengthwise crossing in 13 hours 4 minutes, 20 Bridges around Manhattan Island in 8 hours 25 minutes, 18.6 km Around Coronado Island in 4 hours 54 minutes, 43.2 km across Santa Monica Bay in 14 hours 58 minutes, 23.8 km across Santa Monica Bay in 8 hours 45 minutes, 17.1 km Vikingsholm Lake Tahoe crossing in 5 hours 22 minutes, a 19.4 km Cave Rock Lake Tahoe crossing in 7 hours 3 minutes, a 18.5 km Corona del Mar coastal swim in 7 hours 34 minutes, a 11.2 km Swim around Lido Key in 3 hours 21 minutes, a 58 km END-WET Red River Swim in 10 hours 43 minutes, and a 18.4 km Swim around Key West in 5 hours 45 minutes – all done between the ages of 40 and 47 years.
But her long-time, long-lasting mark on the sport may be the seeds that she planted among her collegiate pool swimmers at Chapman University in Southern California.
Earlier this year, she broached the topic of a Catalina Channel crossing to her college swimmers – something none of them had ever done before. Her expectations were exceeded, for sure.
Miller coached 12 swimmers from Chapman University on 2 concurrent tandem relays during their 32.2 km Catalina Channel crossing in October 2025. The athletes included Aiden Geffros, Brody Perkins, Annika Mittelsteadt, Clara Van Note, Tatum Chambers, Caroline Kundahl, Miles Duncan, CJ Smith, Kylee Edwards, Walker Slay, and Alexis Anderson. They were separated on 2 teams called Teams LFG & NFE and both finished in 11 hours 20 minutes. Miller, escort kayakers Linda Simmons and Olly Gotel, and observers Don Van Cleve and John York supported the 12 student-athletes.
They retold their experiences below:
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