07/25/2023 | Lake Tahoe (True Width Solo) | 1/1 |
11/12/2022 | Frozen Hare 5k | 10/20 |
09/18/2022 | Steelman OWS | 1st AG/6th Female |
09/10/2022 | Around the Island Swim | 2nd AG |
08/20/2022 | Lake George Open Water Swim | 1st AG |
08/13/2022 | Terry Laughlin 2-mile Cable Swim | 2nd AG |
06/12/2022 | Great Chesapeake Bay Swim 4.4 | |
08/21/2021 | Lake George Open Water Swim | 2nd AG |
02/02/2020 | Stephanie Walsh-Beilman Memorial SC Masters Meet | 1st/2nd AG |
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Primary Discipline(s) | Masters Swimming, Open Water Swimming |
Bucket List Race | Lake Tahoe Length, 20 Bridges, Lake Windermere 2-way |
Post-Race Drink | Most definitely a beer (after some mashed potatoes and possibly a cookie) |
Off-Day Activity | Spending time with my husband, Dave, and our puppy, Hudson! |
Simply put, when I'm near water, I'm at my happiest! When I was 7, I had a swimming lesson with "Sue" who helped me get over a fear of the water, and very soon after, I joined the summer swim team and never looked back.
After a short break following college, I returned the to pool in 2003 as a Masters Swimmer. Soon after, I jumped in to my first open water event: The Rainbow Channel Challenge. My wetsuit of choice was, of course, an "Ironman Wetsuit." I loved the suit, and I LOVED the swim. Since then, I've been involved with masters swimming, triathlons, triathlon coaching, swim coaching, and in the last 12 years, open water marathon swimming.
For a few years prior to 2023, my training and racing took a bit of a backseat due to a back injury and starting a business; plus, our amazing pup, Rusty, had his own health issues which became our focus. I was able to find a shorter races towards the end of the 2022 season; it felt good to get back and jump in with both feet. Being able to get in the water helped mentally as I prepared to say goodbye to our sweet Rusty.
I started out 2023 with great plans and a packed schedule, but the year kicked off with COVID and a puppy adoption. While I didn't do much racing, I spent a week during May swimming with friends in Lake Joccassee, SC. We followed that up with 5 weeks in Lake Placid, where I did plenty of swimming in Mirror Lake to prepare for a successful solo crossing of Lake Tahoe.
I'm not entirely certain what's in store yet for 2024. We are in the process of relocating to Upstate New York and once we settle, I'm looking forward to visiting some of my favorite Vermont Lakes and exploring countless lakes in the Adirondacks. I'll be out volunteering at IMLP, and I'm excited to jump in to the Mirror Lake cable swims as well as the Lake George 10k (although, I'm also eyeing some longer adventures as well)!