Theroux Completes 40-Mile Circumnavigation of Aquidneck Island

On September 26, Trent Theroux swam 40 miles around Aquidneck Island, home to Newport, Rhode Island, to raise money for RISE Above Paralysis - a non-profit focused on assisting families of people who have experienced spinal injuries.

Trent faced six-foot swells and headwinds during his roughly 18-hour swim, but he powered through and came ashore with a smile. 

Check out a video of Trent's finish at Bowen's Wharf here. Follow more of Trent's swim via the real time updates posted to NE-LMSC and SwimRI's Facebook pages. Congratulations Trent!!

Press Coverage

Providence Journal Pre-Swim Feature

Providence Journal Post-Swim Feature

4th Annual Boston Sharkfest Draws Large NE-LMSC Contingent

Results

Congratulations to all who participated in the Boston Sharkfest earlier this month. Nearly 500 swimmers covered the one-mile distance across Boston Harbor from east Boston into the Seaport on calm waters under sunny skies. Members of the NE-LMSC made a great showing, taking age group honors in almost every age group in both the wet suit and non-wet suit categories. 

A special shout out to CMSC member Franny Cohen who celebrated her 60th birthday by swimming Sharkfest - her first open water race! - and taking silver in her age group.

Lin Completes Nantasket - Nahant - Nantasket Solo Swim

Helen Lin continues to prove she has no limit when it comes to navigating the open water. Earlier this month, Helen became the first person to make the 18-mile round trip swim from Nantasket Beach in Hull to Northeastern University's Marine Center in Nahant. Helen took a whopping 10-minute break in Nahant before heading back to Nantasket.

Read the Patriot Ledger's coverage of Helen's swim (along with video) here and enjoy the video from her crew here. 

Congratulations Helen! 

Howley Completes Solo Crossing of Loch Ness, One Swim Closer to her "Monster Triple"

Elaine Howley finished a solo crossing of Loch Ness late last month. She covered the  22.2-mile length in 13 hrs 21 minutes, making her the third American to swim the length of the loch. We believe that fewer than 15 people worldwide have completed the swim. Water ranged from 51 to about 57 degrees over the course of the swim. "That was a tough swim but great fun," said Howley. 

Elaine's sense of humor never died over 22 miles of cold water ... check out this video of her last feed. The water was so cold that her mouth was frozen, but that's no reason not to tell a good joke! 

Completing the Loch Ness swim puts Elaine just one swim away from the Monster Triple Crown (solo lengths of Loch Ness, Lake Memphremagog, and Lake Tahoe). She plans to swim Lake Tahoe next spring to cross the Monster Triple Crown off of her bucket list.

Media: WOWSA piece

Penny Palfrey Wins 2015 Boston Light Swim

Results

Legendary open water swimmer - 53-year-old Penny Palfrey of Seventeen-Seventy, Queensland, Australia - handily won the 8-mile Boston Light Swim across Boston Harbor on August 15th with a time of 2:56:48. Palfrey maintained an amazing 85 strokes-per-minute pace throughout the eight-mile course.

Finishing second overall, and winning the men's competition, was 63-year-old James Clifford of Poolesville, MD, the oldest male competitor in the race. Clifford finished in 3:08:22, edging out third place finisher Jennifer Olsen, 44, of Natick, MA, who finished in 3:11:28.

The Boston Light Swim is the oldest open water marathon swim in the U.S. and has been a local tradition since 1907. Participants begin in the water at America's first lighthouse, the Boston Light on Little Brewster Island in the outer Harbor. The course continues past George's Island and Rainsford Island, then along Long Island (and past where the Long Island Bridge used to stand), and around Thompson's Island. Swimmers come ashore at the historic L Street Bathhouse in South Boston, home of the world famous L Street Brownies and the L Street Ice Swimmers.

Females Take Top Three Spots at Charles River Swim

Results

Congratulations to Jessica Stokes, Alana Aubin, and Katharine Dunn who took the top three spots overall at this year's Charles River Swim. They are pictured here with Race Director Kate Radville. Way to go ladies!

Charles River Swimming Club

Maura Twomey Swims the English Channel

Congratulations to Maura Twomey!  Maura completed her first one-way crossing of the English Channel (Dover, England to Cran d'Escalles, France) in 16 hours 23 minutes on Friday July 10th! Not only was this a fantastic personal accomplishment, but Maura also used this as an opportunity to raise funds for Build4life, a charity focused on developing life saving inpatient and outpatient cystic fibrosis facilities in hospitals across Ireland. 

Thanks to Maura's crew member, fellow CMSCer Jen Downing, for this great photo of the crossing!

April is Adult Learn to Swim Month!

The Governors of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont have all issued proclamations of "April as Adult Learn to Swim Month." We in the NELMSC are ready to celebrate!
Fifteen masters teams, representing all five states in our LMSC, are running Swimming Saves Lives programs and offering free swim lessons to adults in their local communities. A huge shoutout to these program directors, and all of the masters swimmers on these teams, who are donating their time as swim instructors this month: 

Maine
Maine Masters: Tim Lecrone, Alford Youth Center, Waterville
Penobscot Bay Masters: Susan Rardin, Penobscot Bay Y, Rockport

Massachusetts
Cambridge Masters Swim Club: Sue Jensen, Harvard University/Blodgett, Cambridge
Martha's Vineyard Masters: Elizabeth Lytle, YMCA of Martha's Vineyard, Vineyard Haven
Simon's Rock PaceMakers: Bill Meier, Simon's Rock @ Bard College, Great Barrington
Pittsfield Polar Bear Masters: Georgette Keator, Pittsfield Family YMCA, Pittsfield
Worcester Area Masters: CJ Dickson, Central YMCA, Worcester
YMCA of Greater Boston: KerriAnn Foley, Boston

New Hampshire
Granite State Penguins: Karin Stokes, Londonderry & Salem Workout Clubs, Londonderry & Salem

Rhode Island
MWR Lobster Swim Club: Denise Vieira & Mike Garr, Chafee Fitness Center, Naval Station, Newport
SwimRI: Paul Dow & Doug Sayles, Newport Athletic Club, Newport

Vermont
Burlington Area Sink or Swim: Kim Fry, The Edge, Williston
Johnson State Masters & Norwich University Masters: Cara Hancy, Johnson State College, Johnson
UV Rays: Catherine Pearson, Upper Valley Aquatic Center, White River Junction
Stowe Masters: Charlotte Brynn, The Swimming Hole, Stowe

FREE ADULT SWIM LESSONS!

Research shows that adults aspire to swim more than any other fitness activity. Yet according to the Centers for Disease Control, 37% of American adults cannot swim the length of a pool. It's not too late! If you know anyone who never learned how to swim, is afraid of the water and/or needs to improve their strokes or breathing technique, contact any one of the masters teams above or email swimmingsaveslives@gmail.com to schedule free swim lessons.

GIVING BACK

The Swimming Saves Lives program provides the perfect opportunity for masters swimmers to give back
to the sport they love by sharing their expertise and passion with beginning swimmers. If you'd like to volunteer to be a swim instructor this year or next, send an email to swimmingsaveslives@gmail.com. Training tools (a 10-page training manual and accompanying video) are provided.

INTERESTED FOR 2016?

Would your masters team like to run a Swimming Saves Lives program in 2016? Please contact Sue Jensen, the New England SSL program coordinator, at swimmingsaveslives@gmail.com to receive SSL Program Overview that will provide all the details for getting a program up and running. Grant money received from the Swimming Saves Lives Foundation to our LMSC will cover all your lane space rental and lifeguard salary expenses.

Coaches Workshop Scheduled for March 28th

NE-LMSC Coaches Chair, Crystie McGrail, has a fantastic coaches workshop lined up focused on open water swimming. 

Three local open water experts - Jennifer Dutton, Elaine Howley and Greg O'Connor - will discuss best practices and theories/ techniques for training in the pool for open water, training in open water and open water safety.

There will also be plenty of time for interactive conversation and questions for the panelists.

Date: March 28, 2015
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (lunch included)
Worcester, MA - specific location details to come

We will limit the workshop to the first 30 coaches who register. For presenter bios and registration, visit the Coaches section of the website.

NE LMSC Swimmers Compete at US Winter Swimming Championships

NE-LMSC swimmers Helen Lin, Elaine Howley, Paula Yankauskas and Rich Born recently competed in the Inaugural U.S. Winter Swimming Championships. Swimming in a "pool" carved into the frozen Lake Memphremagog in Newport, Vermont, competitors raced in the 25 breaststroke and the 25, 50 and 100-meter freestyle. Way to go ice swimmers!!