How do you prepare for such a challenging swim?
You can’t embark on this kind of journey without really being ready. I spent many hours acclimating myself to cold water and building up distance to prepare. My husband knows a lot about water dynamics—he was in the Coast Guard and worked as a harbormaster—so instead of watching “The Real Housewives” on a Friday evening, we’d study surface currents and look at tide charts to have a clear understanding of what I was getting myself into.
I’m also kind of obsessively cautious about sharks, so I definitely wanted to make sure that I chose a less “sharky” time to do this swim. This meant the water temperature would just have to be colder (it got down to 43 degrees Fahrenheit in the water, which is even colder than I was expecting). Thankfully, I have a nice healthy layer of bioprene—a layer of fat that keeps me warm in the water. For a swim like this you have to balance being very healthy and in shape with keeping the weight on to make sure you have enough insulation.
When it came to choosing a team to accompany me, I hand-picked a crew of swimmers with strong resumes who have dealt with adversity in the water. People who could pivot and be able to handle an emergency. I asked each one of my crew members, “How would you be if I got hurt or bit by a shark?” It was an actual possibility, and I made them really think about that before they answered.
You were literally swimming in shark-infested waters for over 17 hours. How did you keep your mind occupied?
Once in the water, I put the thought of sharks in the back of my head. For me to be able to accomplish the swim, I had to get into a zone. Some time passed when I wasn’t thinking about anything, then I found myself solving world problems and making up songs in my head. I was also very appreciative of my crew, who didn’t tell me when I swam past two half-eaten sea lions.
It wasn’t until I reached the ending buoy and the entire crew erupted in cheers that I got suddenly scared. I literally swam like a cartoon character to my accompanying fishing trawler and threw myself up that ladder like Santa Claus.
How did you get your food and nourishment?
The crew would throw me a rope-attached bottle that held my nutrition: a carbohydrate-based product broken down into liquid and mixed with bone broth. It was almost like chicken soup. I also had warm mashed potatoes that were in a plastic bag that I could rip open and slam down, and canned peaches, which helped cut the sting of salt water on my tongue.
You chose not to tell many people you were attempting this swim. Why the secrecy?
Having the press involved in a swim is just another level of stress. For example, I have seen several friends feel obliged to go out in bad weather because the press was there, and I wasn’t about to put myself in a position of not being successful because I was making a choice for someone else. Until we really felt that this swim was going to solidly take shape, I wanted to keep it on the down-low.
What are some of your favorite places to do open water swims worldwide?
The Gibraltar Strait was fabulous—such blue waters and the food in both Spain and Morocco is off the hook. Ireland and Scotland, because the swim communities in those countries are just so welcoming and incredible. Lake Memphremagog, which spans the border between Vermont and Quebec. We had to actually bring along our passports and keep them in the accompanying kayak to make the swim.
Where do you travel when you don’t swim?
Well, my husband and I are ocean people so it always involves water. Portugal works well for us because he has great surf, and I have great spots to swim casually.
What does swimming do for you?
Being in the open water reminds me that in life you’ve got to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. I think it’s a really healthy reminder.
