Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

The Daily News of Open Water Swimming reported that Grace van der Byl would be the first person to not only swim 20.2 miles across the Catalina Channel, but also paddle across the San Pedro Channel in the 32-mile Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race.

This “double crossing” would be unprecedented and would seal her waterwoman status. But that was an inaccurate report.

In fact, the first person to achieve this unprecedented double crossing (swimming and paddling) was the renowned International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Honour Swimmer Carol Sing in 2005.

At the age of 63, Sing was the oldest woman to complete the Catalina Classic when she finished the 32-mile race in 8 hours 58 minutes in the 2005 event. Sing had previously completed a Catalina-to-mainland swim crossing in 1997 in 10 hours 38 minutes at the age of 55.

Sing is a member of the Peninsula Athletic Club in San Diego and has also crossed the English Channel at the age of 57 in 12 hours 32 minutes in 1999 as well as the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.

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