Marcia Cleveland, Quick Quinquagenarian
Marcia Cleveland, Quick Quinquagenarian
Courtesy of Channel Swim Japan, Tsugaru Channel, Honshu – Hokkaido, Japan.Marcia Cleveland wrote Dover Solo, a widely-read, popular book about her 9 hour 44 minute English Channel crossing in 1994 at the age of 30. Dial forward 25 years and the 54-year-old Cleveland is still swimming channels around the world…and greatly enjoying herself doing it.
Today, she completed a 10 hour 11 minute tough crossing of the 19.5 km Tsugaru Channel from Honshu to Hokkaido in northern Japan.
She described the crossing that started at 4:53 am and finished at 6:33 pm, “The last seven hours, I was in a washing machine with 4-5 foot waves sometimes crashing over me. It was a tough swim and I made it. I earned this one today, although I couldn’t have done it without Ted Baumgartner in oh so many ways.”Her Japanese hosts from Ocean Navi were happy for her success. “Marcia visited Ocean Navi in Shinagawa [Tokyo]; many know her as a dynamic swimmer.
We told her during the swim another swimmer [from Croatia] completed a magnificent swim. Marcia said she was very happy for Dina and [as a result after receiving the news], she became even more powerful. She is not only a great swimmer, but also is a lovely person.”
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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.
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