Inspirational. Determined. Record-Breaking Swimmer.
This September, Sarah Thomas, age 37, became the first person to swim across the English Channel four times without stopping. Not only was swimming almost 134 miles in the open sea in just 54 hours an incredible feat for any person, but the Colorado-based athlete had recently completed treatment for breast cancer. She dedicated her swim to “all the survivors out there.”
In November 2017, Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Swimming was her means of coping, according to her support team.
Before the swim, Thomas was admittedly nervous. “I’ve been waiting for this swim for over two years now and have fought so hard to get here. Am I 100%? No,” she said. “But I’m the best that I can be right now, with what I’ve been through, with more fire and fight than ever.”
The swim, which began at midnight on Sunday went until dawn on Tuesday, tested Sarah’s limits of endurance, and put her ahead of the four others who have previously completed the Channel crossing three times without stopping.
Excerpt: “Thomas completed her first open-water event in 2007 – a 10km swim in her home state of Colorado – and went on to become the overall champion of the race. In 2016, she also set a distance record of 128.7km in 56 hours, non-stop, across Lake Powell in the US.
‘This is for those of us who have prayed for our lives, who have wondered with despair about what comes next, and have battled through pain and fear to overcome,’ she said.
‘This is for those of you just starting your cancer journey and those of you who are thriving with cancer kicked firmly into the past, and for everyone in between.’
Read more about Sarah’s courageous journey at The Guardian.
