Courtesy of Phil White.
Phil White announced an unprecedented 88.5 km cross-border multi-leg swim across Lake Memphremagog between Vermont, USA and Quebec, Canada by Caroline Block, JD, PhD (41, USA, Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here).
The Honor Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Class of 2022) is a deaf athlete with remarkable range of talents. With degrees from Princeton University, Cornell Law School, and John Hopkins University, including a doctorate in anthropology, she has completed an Ironman Triathlon and worked as a financier in New York City and currently as a litigator in Washington DC.
Dr. Block has numerous long marathon swims under her cap:
- 51.2 km in 19 hours 21 minutes in Lake George
- 34.5 km in 15 hours 32 minutes in the North Channel (2017)
- 55.7 km in 21 hours 28 minutes in Finger Lakes (NY)
- 34.5 km in 16 hours 45 minutes in North Channel (2018)
- 44.3 km in 20 hours 36 minutes across Santa Rosa (California)
- 30.6 km in 14 hours 56 minutes across Santa Cruz Channel
- 34.5 km in 14 hours 39 minutes across North Channel (2019)
- 102.4 km in 52 hours 24 minutes across Lake George
- 40 km in 17 hours 23 minutes in Lake Memphremagog (2021)
- 34.5 km in 16 hours 53 minutes across Loch Lomond
- 40 km in 17 hours 27 minutes across Lake Memphremagog (2025)
But this crossing was her longest (in duration) swim to date: 54 hours 28 minutes.
It was long, really long. The last 5 miles took her 5 hours and 47 minutes.
White reports, “Four days – Three nights – August 24th into August 28th 2026 – Bracketed by thunder delaying the planned start by 12 hours and the threat of more lightning and high winds on the fourth day – Caroline Block, 41, of Alexandria, Virginia managed to squeeze in an historic 55-mile swim In Search of Memphre on Lake Memphremagog – from Newport, Vermont to Magog, Quebec, back again to Newport and then another 5 miles to the Canadian Border.
55 miles, with little doubt that, but for the wall of weather rolling in and standing between us and Magog, the first Triple Cross of this mighty lake was hers. As it was, 55 miles completed in one continuous swim made history and planted a stake and a challenge to every open water swimming Pirate to come plunder the third leg.
On Monday, August 24th, 2026, at 8 pm, Caroline entered the water at the Newport City Boat Ramp. Swimming through a moonlit, gentle night and into a sunny day, she cleared the water in Magog at 2:36 pm on August 25th, 2026 for an elapsed time of 18 hours and 36 minutes.
After 8 and a half minutes on the beach, she re-entered the water at 2:45 pm. Swimming through the night arriving at the Newport Boat Ramp and exiting the water at 7:33 pm on August 27th, for a swimming time of 28 hours 48 minutes. Total time on the double cross was 47 hours and 33 minutes.
A crowd of friends and supporters greeted her on the boat ramp, We were joined by a party of folks on the dock with a band playing. They learned what was going on and who came to see her landing. Boat horns, applause, howls and whistles. Best welcome I’ve ever seen in the 15 years of The Search (Although Magog is catching on).
Caroline sat on the boat ramp for 8 minutes and to the consternation of the gathered crowd, slid herself back into the waterat 7:41 pm as darkness began to descend. She adjusted her goggles and started swimming back to Canada.
The swim was bracketed by thunderstorms on Monday afternoon, which delayed the start and by the threat of thunderstorms and high winds starting around 10 am on Thursday. Caroline understood that she could not complete the third leg before the seriously bad weather arrived. She chose to turn around a second time and swim an additional five miles to the Canadian border.She landed on the beach behind the Canadian Border Reporting Wharf at 2:28 am on Thursday, August 28th. Swimming time for the last leg of 5 miles was 5 hours and 47 minutes.
Total distance swum: 55 miles – 88.5 kilometers. Total time to complete: 54 hours and 28 minutes.
Water Temperature was generally 71 to 72°F, with low of 69 and a high of 74°F. Air temperature dropped to the mid-60s at night rising to a high of mid-80s during the day.
The wind was negligible for much of the time, rising to 3 mph from the south, and reaching 7 and 9 mph every now and then. We got some showers and then a clearing sky with a full moon and the gentlest of nights. The escort pontoon, Lucky, was piloted during the first leg by Vera Rivard and Phil White; the second leg by Karina Palmorino and Phil White and the 5-mile leg by Kathleene Marcil and Phil White. Crewing for Caroline were Kellie Latimer, Anita Hartsock, and Janine Serell.
The swim was conducted in full accord with traditional channel crossing rules, as adopted and published by the Marathon Swimmers Federation and Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association. NEKOWSA has ratified this 55-mile swim.
While there are four others who have successfully completed a 50-mile double cross of Lake Memphremagog – Sarah Thomas (2013), Stephen Rouch (20`19), Vera and Margaret Rivard (2024) – Caroline’s swim sets the record as the longest continuous swim on Lake Memphremagog … ever.
Before the swim we all met at the Newport City Docks and Boat Ramp to discuss the logistics of this swim and figure out the best time to make it. We adjourned to enjoy a group Dinner at Darcie’s cabin with Team Rivard. Karina Palmorino and her dad joined us. Vera, Margaret ,Karina, and Kathleene have been piloting escort for a couple of years now. We used a grant from VOREC (submitted by Newport Downtown Development) to train them. They were the backbone of Kingdom Games’ support of Caroline’s swim.
Kellie and Anita are both Swimmer Scouts, swimming the length of the lake in 2022 and 2025. Janine taught us the wonders of slow swimming and has shared some good laughs over many years.
Following the swim, after some rest, we had our traditional signing and tacking of Caroline’s nameplate at The Clubhous, enjoyed breakfast at The Brown Cow, and adjourned to Jasper’s Tavern for Caroline to add her new information to her place already held on the ceiling above the bar.
This swim was held with the support of the City of Newport and Vermont’s First Lady Dracontologist, Barbara Malloy, who has documented over 170 sightings of Memphre. See Something About Memphre.
For a link to Photos of Window V – Caroline Block. For a link to the Tracker of Caroline’s Swim.
2026 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
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