Three years ago, Jessica Kieras (45, USA, MSF bio here, @jesskieras) swam across the English Channel in 10 hours 21 minutes. On August 9th, Kieras crossed the again – but this time, she swam backstroke, finishing in 11 hours 26 minutes.
She prepared well for the fastest backstroke crossing by a women, and second fastest overall – behind the 10 hour 41 minute crossing of fellow American Harrison Haines (@hhaines44, University of Florida bio here). She broke the women’s record held by Tina Neill that was set 20 years ago.
Dr. Keiras prepared well. Back in September 2024, she had completed her six-hour English Channel qualifier swim in 15.6°C water. She said, “[I am] good to go for 2025 with Captain Stuart Gleeson on @sealeopardcharter. 6 hours in 15.6°C water on a chilly, gray day at 1,402 meters in altitude near Mt. Washington in Oregon. It was my longest continuous backstroke swim to date. I learned what to work on this winter.”
Over the winter, she worked hard. And it paid off.
She recalled, “We went on the very last possible night before I flew home. We were waiting for good weather that never really came.
I puked every 30 to 90 minutes throughout the swim. I had headwind and swell, bigger tides and somehow still ended up finishing in 11:26, as Harrison Haines had shattered the overall record going 10:41 just days before.”
The Start and Finish of a Backstroke Crossing
She walked in backwards and sideways looking over her shoulder from Samphire Hoe that was too not steep. She got on her back before she started her first stroke in the 17-18°C water.
Dr. Kieras explained her finish of the backstroke finish, “There was a formal conversation leading up to the swim about start and finish rules. I was instructed by the observer to swim backstroke until told by the co-pilot, Sean Marsh (in the dinghy) to turn over and climb onto the rock (not swim). I was told that I must not attempt to climb the rock backwards and this was not an option.
The surge wasn’t bad at all, so I was able to swim all the way there backstroke, then turn around, and grab a rock to climb out.”
English Channel Backstrokers in History
- Jessica Kieras, USA: 11 hours 26 minutes in August 2025
- Harrison Haines, USA: 10 hours 41 minutes in July 2025
- Nik Haynes, Great Britain, see documentary below: 12 hours 52 minutes in August 2020
- Raquel Márquez Colín, Mexico: 16 hours 8 minutes in August 2007
- Tina Neill, USA, MSF bio here: 13 hours 22 minutes in August 2005
- Haydn Welch, Great Britain, MSF bio here: 17 hours 2 minutes in September 1993
© 2025 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“
A World Open Water Swimming Federation project.