Paula swims
Marathon swimming
I am a marathon swimmer, which means I take on long distance open water swims on a regular basis.
I also support others who do long-distance open water swims, including acting as a trained boat observer for New York Open Water.
I was recently featured in this New Yorker piece covering Leslie Hamilton’s historic swim around Staten Island, which I had the honour of observing.
I am the Co-Executive Director of the Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers (CIBBOWS). Check out our web page for more information including how to swim with us, our events (including Grimaldo’s Mile, Breezy Point 5K and Triple Dip) and how to join!
20 Bridges
My most recent challenge was on August 28, 2022 when I swam a massive 28.5 miles around Manhattan, my home for the past 12 years, in 8 hours, 42 minutes. I trained for years for this swim, now known as 20 Bridges.
20 Bridges is a 28.5-mile (48.5-kilometer) swim around Manhattan Island traditionally completed in a counter-clockwise direction. It’s a full loop, with an in-water start and finish. The swim travels through three “rivers” that are actually all tidal straits or estuaries: The East River, the Harlem River, and the Hudson. The swim around Manhattan is part of the famed Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, together with the English Channel (between England and France) and Catalina Channel (in California).
I raised almost $7000 for BioBus to support the young scientists of today and tomorrow!
Image credit: New York Open Water