Marathon Swimming: The Sport of the Soul By Paul Asmuth
Courtesy of Elm Hill.
International Swimming Hall of Fame (Class of 2010) and International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Class of 1982) dual inductee Paul Asmuth wrote his first book like he swam as a professional marathon swimmer: with passion, faith, and grit.
His book, Marathon Swimming: The Sport of the Soul, was released today by Elm Hill, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
Asmuth introduces readers to the journey of his prolific marathon swimming career that took him to races in the Pacific Ocean in Mexico, lakes in Quebec, Canada, in the Italian waters of the Mediterranean Sea, around Manhattan Island in New York City, and three times across the English Channel (8 hours 12 minutes and 8 hours 34 minutes in 1985 and 9 hours 5 minutes in 1989).
He recognizes the guidance of God and the people who helped him attain his achievements in his many victories including the 42 km Traversée Internationale du lac Memphrémagog, the 32 km Traversée Internationale du lac St-Jean, the 45.9 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, the 36.2 km Atlantic City Around the Island Swim, and the 36 Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli, .
Throughout the book, Asmuth recounts many memorable races in some of the world’s toughest marathon races. “The story of my marathon swimming journey is how the hand of God directed me throughout my life, to put me in the right place and, more importantly, with the right coaches and teammates who would build my mind, body, and spiritual path to achieve great success, as improbable as this was in my early days.
Looking back on life, it is easy to see how the decisions we made impacted our future. For me, the links between these choices have been Divine inspirations and appointments. Without my belief that God has a plan for my life, the odds of success seem very low.”
Asmuth describes the doubts, uncertainties and struggles with the cold, currents and conditions that he had to overcome in his races to succeed. The three-time NCAA All-American swimmer and team co-captain at Arizona State University had his dreams of competing in the Olympics dashed by the 1980 boycott. But that disappointment ultimately led him to showcase his swimming prowess on the World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation where he was the dominant swimmer throughout the 1980’s while working as a California Certified Public Accountant.
Asmuth has long retired from accounting, but shared his knowledge of the sport while coaching the USA Swimming national team between 2007 and 2016. He currently serves as the general manager of The Napa Valley Reserve, a private winery and club in St. Helena, California.
Elm Hill describes Marathon Swimming: The Sport of the Soul as a chronicle of Asmuth’s rich experience in his swimming career and spiritual journey. The Sport of the Soul refers to how marathon swimming diminishes all five senses — hear, feel, touch, smell, and sight — where he is moved deeper into his soul to the very essence of who he is and who God has made him to be.
The 244-page Marathon Swimming: The Sport of the Soul is available in eBook, paperback and hardbound formats.
The book was posted today on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for pre-ordering.
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