Impossible? Done Repeatedly By Sarah Thomas
Courtesy of Marathon Swimmers Federation.
The Marathon Swimmers Federation announced the 2019 MSF Solo Swim of the Year is Sarah Thomas‘s unprecedented 134 km four-way crossing of the English Channel in 54 hours 10 minutes.
Marathon Swimmers Federation described her 54 hour 10 minute swim as, “38 years after Jon Erikson’s 3-way, 58 years after Antonio Abertondo’s 2-way, and 144 years after Matthew Webb, the channel swimming world raptly followed Sarah’s blinking orange dot for 54 hours on two back-to-back round-trips to France, piloted by Capt. Eddie Spelling. In the sport’s most hallowed waters, she executed one of history’s greatest endurance feats only a year after after finishing treatment for breast cancer.
For her courage in tackling seemingly impossible challenges, her physical and mental tenacity to complete them, and her exemplary sporting integrity, the MSF community once again salutes Sarah Thomas – Solo Swim of the Year in 3 of the past 4 years.
Congratulations, as well, to the other Solo Swim finalists: Sarah Ferguson, Jessi Harewicz, Cameron Bellamy, and Becca Mann.
International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame chairman Ned Denison interviewed the living legend on WOWSA Live in April when she spoke about:
* escort pilot Eddie Spelling
* her 128.7 km 56 hour 5 minute crossing of Lake Powell in 2016
* her crew including her sister and her mother
* her battle back from cancer
* her start with a 10 km local swim
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