Everyone has a story. Everyone faces challenges. Everyone can strive for triumphs.

Professor Salima Bouayad Agha (65, Algeria, @swim4parkinson) has all three…in abundance.

The lifelong swimmer, a university professor, and a former member of the Algerian National Swim Team admits that her long swimming career and successes as a masters swimmer have always meant much more to her than simply participating in competitions. She says, “Swimming has been a refuge, a path through personal hardships, and a discipline that shaped my resilience.”

My life journey has been marked by profound challenges – fleeing terrorism in Algeria, rebuilding my career in France, raising my children alone in the face of domestic violence, caring for sick parents, and supporting my eldest daughter through addiction. Throughout these trials, swimming has never left me.

In recent years, I discovered the immense freedom of open water swimming. Unlike the pool, the open sea gives me a sense of liberation, a direct connection with nature and with myself.“

Now with the help of Olympian Glen Christiansen, the 65-year-old is preparing to swim the English Channel in 2026. “This is both a personal challenge and a fundraising mission for France Parkinson – a cause that touches me deeply. I want to give meaning to this crossing by putting all my life experience, athletic discipline, and inner strength into the service of others.

I want to amplify the message that it is never too late to overcome, to commit, and to inspire.”

For more information, visit @swim4parkinson.

© 2025 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

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A World Open Water Swimming Federation project.