MSF Solo Swim of the Year: Sarah Thomas 4-way English Channel

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sarah english channel
Finishing a 4th continuous crossing of the English Channel. Photo courtesy Tom Nicholson, The Times (UK)

The votes have been tallied, and the 2019 MSF Solo Swim of the Year is Sarah Thomas‘ monumental four-way English Channel swim.

38 years after Jon Erikson‘s 3-way, 58 years after Antonio Abertondo‘s 2-way, and 144 years after Matthew Webb, the channel swimming world raptly followed Sarah’s blinking orange dot for 54 hours on two back-to-back round-trips to France, piloted by Capt. Eddie Spelling.

In the sport’s most hallowed waters, she executed one of history’s greatest endurance feats only a year after after finishing treatment for breast cancer.

For her courage in tackling seemingly impossible challenges, her physical and mental tenacity to complete them, and her exemplary sporting integrity, the MSF community once again salutes Sarah Thomas – Solo Swim of the Year in 3 of the past 4 years.

Congratulations, as well, to the other Solo Swim finalists: Sarah Ferguson, Jessi Harewicz, Cameron Bellamy, and Becca Mann.