In 2023, Leslie Hamilton became the first woman to swim around Staten Island, and in 2025 completed an unprecedented crossing of the 26.3 mile length of Lake Norman. She likes to tackle swims that make her feel “a little crazy”, ventures off the beaten path, has nothing to prove and everything to love about this sport.

Internally driven by a passionate sense of adventure and insatiably hunger for challenge, we discussed growing up within New York Open Water, how she chooses her swims (spoiler alert, they aren’t on a list), swimming sans-top around Staten Island, and the challenges of swimming long distances in warm water.

00:00 Introducing Leslie Hamilton

02:03 Growing up in NYOW

05:10 Planning the Staten Island Swim

08:16 Media Attention and the New Yorker Article

14:37 Swimming in Potentially Polluted Waters

19:30 What Makes an Adventure in Ultraswimming

22:59 You Can't Repeat the Same Swim Twice

24:52 Envisioning the Lake Norman Swim

26:51 The 24-Hour Swim Goal

29:36 Measuring Routes in the MSF Member Portal

33:44 Building a Supportive Crew

35:41 The Boat Rental Process

37:44 Night Swimming

41:04 Overheating While Swimming

48:59 Knowing When to End a Swim

Leslie Hamilton on LongSwims Database

https://ultraswimming.org/database/p/leslie-hamilton

Music: 'Wanderlust' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0.

www.scottbuckley.com.au

Additional Reading

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/endure-alex-hutchinson

Additional Listening:

The Central Governor Theory on Trail Runner Nation Part 1

https://trailrunnernation.com/2021/10/wrapping-our-brain-around-the-central-governor-theory-part-1/

The Central Governor Theory on Trail Runner Nation Part 2

https://trailrunnernation.com/2021/10/ep-544-wrapping-our-brain-around-the-central-governor-theory-part-2/

Episode 5: California Channel Islands with Karina Garcia

Most ultraswimmers have heard of swimming from Catalina Island to the mainland, but what about the other seven islands that make up the California Channel Islands? These islands offer startlingly clear water, dramatic rocky cliffs, an iconic arch, and frequent visits from resident dolphins. Routes have been charted across the channel, around the islands, between the islands and more.

What is it like to swim here? Find out as Karina Garcia shares her recent course record swim from Santa Rosa to the mainland along with Evan and Jessica’s reflections on their own swims from Anacapa, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara Islands.

If you’re wondering how you might swim any of the California Channel Islands, we discuss how the Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association supports swimmers in safely achieving these goals. Evan and Karina draw on their experiences as former and current SBCSA board members to illustrate how the association helps swimmers organize, execute and celebrate swims involving these beautiful and remote islands.

Music: 'Wanderlust' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

**References**

- [Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association](https://santabarbarachannelswim.org)

- [California Channel Islands solo swim results](https://ultraswimming.org/database/events/california-channel-islands) (LongSwims Database)

- [Karina Garcia swim resume](https://ultraswimming.org/database/p/karina-garcia) (LongSwims Database)

- [DRIVEN](https://driven.vhx.tv) - documentary film about three Channel Islands marathon swims in 2012

Episode 4: Training with Charlotte Brynn, Joe Zemaitis & Sidney Russell

So what’s the best way to train for an ultraswim?

In this episode we welcome [Charlotte Brynn](https://ultraswimming.org/database/p/charlotte-brynn), [Joe Zemaitis](https://ultraswimming.org/database/p/joe-zemaitis) and [Sidney Russell](https://ultraswimming.org/database/p/sidney-russell), renowned ultraswimmers who are also experienced coaches to get their take on the perennial question of how to best prepare yourself for an endurance adventure as dynamic, unpredictable and complex as an ultraswim.

Our discussion covers four components of training for ultraswims:

* safe and efficient technique

* building endurance

* acclimatizing

* mental fortitude

While “everyone is different” (as we have grown increasingly fond of saying), we identify some key pieces of wisdom to share with you as you consider how to design and structure your training and preparation.

Music: 'Wanderlust' by [Scott Buckley](https://www.scottbuckley.com.au) \- released under CC-BY 4.0.

A few references from the episode:

* Charlotte Brynn, [swimwithbrynn.com](https://www.swimwithbrynn.com/)

* Sidney Russell, [swimopenwaters.com](http://swimopenwaters.com)

* Joe Zemaitis, [Swim Neptune](https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/assn/page/custom-page)

* Marathon Swimmers Forum thread, [Training Plans for Marathon Swims 10k and Up](https://ultraswimming.org/forum/discussion/1811/training-plans-for-marathon-swims-10k-and-up)

* [Training for a Marathon Swim](https://ultraswimming.org/news/2015/01/training-for-a-marathon-swim) by Evan Morrison

* Science of Ultra Podcast Episodes

- [Mileage Matters Most](https://www.scienceofultra.com/podcasts/136)

- [Training Intensity Distribution](https://www.scienceofultra.com/podcasts/148)

* Addie Bracy’s book, [Mental Training for Ultrarunning](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/mental-training-for-ultrarunning_addie-j-bracy/27038138/#edition=57821861&idiq=45515125)

In this mini-episode, Jessica and Evan dive into a major new MSF project that’s just been launched:

- Our new website, ultraswimming.org which combines resources which were previously under three separate websites (marathonswimmers.org, longswims.com, and track.rs).

- Our new Member Portal app, in which MSF members can submit Documented Swims for ratification, set up GPS tracking pages, vote in the MSF Awards, and get online support for any issues or questions they may have.

This promises to create a more streamlined experience for MSF members, less manual labor for MSF administrators, and new opportunities for people to get involved in various aspects of the MSF project.

Some links to resources that were mentioned during the episode:

MSF Documented Swims program (2014 – present), Marathon Swimmers Federation

Repeatable Swim Routes, by Evan Morrison

MSF documentation of Sarah Thomas’ Lake Champlain swim

MSF documentation of Jessica Kieras’ Waldo Lake swim

Link to episode on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1clFSao74XyWPBAaiNo7U3?si=6edf9581296a476b

Link to episode on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-episode-1-karen-zemlin-lake-superior/id1845817729?i=1000731576760

Link to show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4wovM2IebJ0mrfXN7vsmrF?si=5c1e3b71f6074ad3

Link to show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ultraswimming-podcast/id1845817729

Podcast RSS feed: https://news.marathonswimmers.org/feed/mp3/

Recorded September 27, 2025.

In this episode we discuss how Karen Zemlin envisioned, planned and completed a new 22.9 km (14.2 mile) route on Lake Superior, from Isle Royale, Michigan to Pigeon Point, Minnesota in 6 hours and 12 minutes on August 13, 2025.

We talk about how this route differs from the already established east and west routes and what makes it an excellent addition to the options for ultraswims in the world’s largest lake.

Karen shared with us how the unique geography of the lake contributed to an upwelling as she swam toward shore, resulting in a twenty degree temperature drop down to 46°F (8°C). We learned how she coped with the cold and how her crew supported her in completing the swim safely.

Some links to resources that were mentioned during the episode:

- Official documentation from Karen Zemlin’s Lake Superior swim: https://marathonswimmers.org/swims/2025/zemlin-isle-royale

- Karen Zemlin's LongSwims Database profile: https://longswims.com/p/karen-zemlin

- Website for the Marathon Swimmers Federation (MSF): https://marathonswimmers.org

- Other MSF documented swims: https://marathonswimmers.org/swims/

- Jessica’s post on hypothermic swimmers losing consciousness on marathon swims: https://oregonlakebagging.wordpress.com/2021/01/09/swimming-to-confusion-stories-from-cold-water-swimmers/

A few links to projects mentioned in the episode:

Marathon Swimmers Federation (MSF): marathonswimmers.org

Long Swims Database profiles:

– Jessica Kieras

– Evan Morrison

MSF Documented Swims: https://marathonswimmers.org/swims/

MSF News Blog: https://news.marathonswimmers.org/

Link to episode on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-0-introductions/id1845817729?i=1000731656919

Link to episode on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5sl7wwUeExB1wNE7NDm4V5

Link to show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ultraswimming-podcast/id1845817729

Link to show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4wovM2IebJ0mrfXN7vsmrF

Podcast RSS feed: https://news.marathonswimmers.org/feed/mp3/