This one is for the swimmers who never placed. For the athletes whose bodies have been rewritten by hormones. For the adults who never learned to swim and the ones who are afraid to try. On July 20, 2026 I will attempt to make history by becoming the first person to swim the Boston Light Swim backstroke…8 miles, face up, all the way to the lighthouse. And I’m doing it for all of us.

THE BOSTON LIGHT SWIM: AMERICA’S OLDEST MARATHON SWIM

BLS is the oldest marathon swim in the United States. The traditional 8 mile route starts at the Boston lighthouse and weaves through the Harbour Islands arriving in South Boston. My solo attempt will be a reverse BLS, meaning I will swim the 8 miles from South Boston to the lighthouse. The backwards route seems appropriate for this epic backstroke attempt.

MY SWIM STORY
I am a lifelong swimmer who joined her first swim team at age 5. My desire for the sport never translated into exceptional speed and I did not swim competitively in high school or college. But my joy for the water always stayed with me. Swimming was my entry point into the world of triathlon in 2013. Surrounded by athletes with less swim experience, for the first time I was the fast one. A competitive side surfaced in me, looking to beat my own times each race. By 2018 I completed Ironman Mont Tremblant. I finished the 2.4 mile swim in just under 1 hour 10 minutes, but it just didn’t feel like enough. I wanted to keep swimming.

During the pandemic, pools were closed and there were no races. I discovered long distance swimmers and finally found a place where my strength and consistency mattered more than speed. I have one pace and can swim literally all day. The proof was my longest swim to date of 10 hours.

SWIMMING THROUGH PERIMENOPAUSE: FINDING WHAT WORKS

A few years ago, I started noticing breathing issues: each time I started swimming I felt extremely out of breath, I noticed tightness in my chest and coughing in the cold water, and my throat began to burn if I swam more than 30 minutes in the pool. Not great for a swimmer.

I talked about my breathing issue with my dietitian. That may seem like a strange choice, but she is the medical professional I trust the most to discuss my symptoms without immediately blaming my weight. We discussed that the two most likely causes would be heart and lungs.

Given my level of fitness and low resting heart rate we decided to start with a pulmonologist to examine my lungs. Our initial discussion quickly focused on my weight. I have been learning to advocate for myself with doctors and explained that I was fat for quite some time before experiencing any of these symptoms. I asked directly: “What other things would you consider if someone in a smaller body had the same issue?” She did order a chest x-ray and breathing test, but in the end her conclusion was that my weight was the driving factor. I left feeling dismissed and disappointed.

The next likely culprit? Menopause. It wreaks havoc on our bodies so maybe this is yet another symptom related to significant hormone changes. Neither my Primary Care or OBGYN offices have demonstrated significant knowledge about my care through this transition so I chatted with some of my coach friends who specialize in supporting athletes through the menopause transition. One suggested that hormonal changes may have made my nose more sensitive to chlorine. I started using a nose clip and not only did the throat burning stop but it kept water from going up my nose when swimming backstroke through waves in the ocean. Thanks, Jen!

DISCOVERING THE DREAM: WHEN GOING BACKWARDS BECOMES MOVING FORWARD

Before I had any of those answers, I tried something on my own. On Sept 11 2024, I flipped on my back to swim. It felt so good and I could breathe easily. That day I swam my first continuous 500 yards backstroke in the ocean. Two days later I swam 1000 yards, a week after that 2000 yards. In 2025 I decided to add backstroke to my earliest swims, the first was 300 yards at the end of March in chilly 46F water. I started wondering how much backstroke I could swim. Maybe a 5K or a 10K? I set a personal goal to swim what we call the Nantasket lap: the entire 3 mile length of my favorite beach and back. I didn’t set a target date or write myself a training plan. It was more like an exploration than a challenge. I kept moving forward (or backward LOL) going a little farther each swim.

As the water temps increased I resumed my quest towards the Nantasket Lap. I completed a 2 mile swim by the end of June, 3 miles by the end of July. I attempted a 4 mile swim in September but rough conditions allowed me to complete 3.5 miles. Then it happened. We showed up to swim on a random Sunday in late September and the conditions were perfect, maybe even to swim the full lap. I swam 3 miles to the end of the beach and turned around,  prepared to get out and walk at any time. At 4 miles I still felt strong. At 5 miles I was tired, but determined to take advantage of the beautiful day.

That last mile was long, but I was not about to give up. As a coach I feel the need to be clear: I was undertrained for this distance, not untrained. I’d been swimming a lot, but my body wasn’t ready for 10K. I don’t recommend showing up underprepared but when you do, that’s where grit, determination and mental strength become the deciding factor.

I achieved my goal of swimming 10K backstroke in the ocean and knew immediately what goal was next: be the first person to complete the Boston Light Swim Backstroke. Some may say my Backstroke Lap is not official because it wasn’t observed or ratified by a swimming organization. That doesn’t matter to me. I got enough satisfaction out of meeting my goal and having my friend Irena at the end to grab a video and a much needed burger.