Catarina Almeida Porfírio Completes the First LPSA 50 km Swim
Adherbal de Oliveira, the president of Leme to Pontal Swimming Association, reported the completion of a new 50 km with the organization. “47-year-old Catarina Almeida Porfírio is the Queen of the LPSA because she has achieved the most swims with her participation in two solo swims and one relay.
On January 17th, she performed another swim, entering the history of the LPSA as the first pioneer of the newest LPSA 50 km course. Her crossing from Praia Vermelha to Barra de Guaratiba, in addition to its daunting 50 km distance, throws adversities at a swimmer such as currents, winds, and tides in a winding course that passes through the most beautiful beaches in Rio de Janeiro and natural beauties such as Sugar Loaf Mountain, Cagarras Archipelago, Christ the Redeemer, and Tijucas Islands.
In the final 15 km stretch, after the famous Pedra do Pontal, she needed to swim close to wild islands dominated by a forest and without buildings. A beautiful setting for a perfect experience between Catarina and Mother Nature. Catarina’s swim started at 3:28 pm January 17th and continued throughout the dawn and morning of the next day.
Everything went well until the final 10 km, when she had to swim close to the rocks and push hard in order to overcome the strong oncoming currents in a very wavy sea.
Despite the challenges, she proved to be very well prepared, both physically and mentally, as she managed to execute instructions of her coach Júlio Wood Saldanha and her sports psychologist Paulo Penha de Souza Filho.
Completing her team on this historic swim were LPSA observers José Eduardo do Amaral Ferreira and me, as well as the pilots of the escort boat Ladeia V, Manoel Fernandez and Max Pain Viglio.
After 21 hours 6 minutes and swimming more than 53 km, Catarina Porfírio reached the sands of Barra de Guaratiba beach writing her name in the history of LPSA as the first person to complete this majestic open water challenge, making everyone happy from the open water community who sent her many messages of affection and support via the Association’s social networks throughout the challenge.
Definitely, a day to be immortalized in the memory of those who love to practice sports, especially in open water.”
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