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.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.