Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

In a year when she will be inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Pilar Geijo will start her 9th annual 57 km Maratón Acuática Internacional Santa Fe – Coronda in her homeland of Argentina on February 4th.

“This week is the first taper after 16 weeks of very consistent training with a lot of work oriented to the Santa Fe – Coronda race. I feel prepared and confident that it is important in the face of this competition that demands so much energy,” said Geijo. “I do not think of a specific result, my expectation is to be able to respond to different situations and to be able to perform as best I can.”

In addition to competing in the 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli in Italy and in the 32 km Traversée International du Lac St-Jean. Sometime between February 18th and 23rd, she will attempt a 42 km Río de la Plata crossing in Argentina.

In 2005, the Maratón Acuática Internacional Santa Fe – Coronda was the first professional marathon swimming race she competed in. “Personally, Santa Fe – Coronda is a very special race for me. I remember that when I finished I thought that I would never swim long races again. But I ended up competing in many marathon swims and I love them. In addition, I like to compete in my country and Santa Fe is a city that I appreciate because I have many friends here.”

After her racing career is concluded, Pilar plans to start a swimming school, give swimming clinics, and be dedicated to giving motivational talks. “I studied journalism thinking that it was going to be a hobby. The motivational talks and clinics present a way to express myself. I like to race, but I can not imagine working immediately as a journalist.

Swimming has given me a lot of tools to do other things that I like to do.”

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