Watch "Older Women Rule the Waves" - Inspiring Stories of Female Open Water Swimmers Over 60

Watch “Older Women Rule the Waves” – Inspiring Stories of Female Open Water Swimmers Over 60

WOWSA 03/23/2023 open water swimming No Comment

Guila Muir, the founder of Say Yes To Life Swims and organizer of the Women In The Open Water series, recently hosted an inspiring panel presentation titled “Older Women Rule the Waves.”

The presentation featured four astounding female open water swimmers over the age of sixty, including Gina Harden, Pat Gallant-Charette, Liz Fry, and Sally Minty-Gravett, MBE. These women have conquered some of the most challenging open water feats in the world, and their stories of physical, mental, and emotional training offer inspiration to anyone who loves the open water.

Guests on the show:

Gina Harden, a 62-year-old American open water swimmer and retired U.S. Navy Captain, achieved the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming on August 11, 2022. In 1982, she became the seventh female diver in U.S. Navy history and later served as Officer in Charge of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Forward Headquarters in Afghanistan. She served as Chief of Operations for the Joint Operations Center at COMUSCENTCOM.

Pat Gallant-Charette, a 71-year-old American marathon swimmer and retired nurse from Maine, was inducted as an Honor Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2019. She has set records in the Catalina Channel, Tsugaru Channel, North Channel, Molokai Channel, English Channel, and Lake Ontario throughout her career.

Elizabeth Anne Fry, a 61-year-old financial services consultant from Connecticut, USA, and a record-setting marathon swimmer with numerous channel crossings.

At the age of 60 years and 301 days, she became the oldest person – male or female – to complete the Oceans Seven challenge.

Sally Minty-Gravett, MBE is a pool and open water swimming coach and open water swimmer who was inducted as an Honor Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2005. She has been marathon swimming for five decades and has swum across the English Channel in 1965 as an 18-year-old, in 1985 as a 28-year-old, in 1992 as a 45-year-old, in 2005 as a 48-year-old, and in 2014 as a 56-year-old. Sally has also taught thousands of people how to swim and be safe in the sea through her unselfish efforts.

Host:

Guila Muir is an accomplished American open water swimmer from the state of Washington and a regular member of the Notorious Alki Swimmers in West Seattle. As the founder and owner of Say Yes To Life Swims LLC, Muir has built a successful Seattle-based business that provides open water Swim Excursions from May to October in some of the most stunning locations in the Northwest United States. These excursions attract a diverse range of participants, including triathletes, pool swimmers trying open water swimming for the first time, and even Olympic-level competitors. Muir’s expertise and passion for open water swimming have helped countless individuals overcome their fears and achieve their goals in the water.

Their stories are a testament to the fact that age is just a number, and with hard work, determination, and a love for the sport, anything is possible.

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