Iris Ashman: The Length of Bodensee

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by Jessica Kieras

German swimmer, Iris Ashman set off to do something special for her 60th birthday. She ended up becoming the first woman to swim 64 kilometers (entering and exiting on shore) across the length of Bodensee, also known as Lake Constance. The swim took place on June 16, 2024 in a time of 30 hours, 16 minutes and 50 seconds, pending MSF ratification. This success required extensive training, a stalwart crew, careful planning and the mental fortitude to overcome waves of self-doubt. 

Preparation for the Swim

While trying to locate support for the swim, she initially encountered some skepticism about her age and experience. However, another swimmer, Martyn Webster, put her in contact with Patrick Boche, a local organizer who had supported Martyn’s swim. “It was so reassuring to actually find someone who is with you rather than against you. Needless to say, we hit it off from the word go and I was happy to get all the support I wanted/needed,” she said in her swim narrative.  

Iris also hired world record holder, Sarah Thomas to coach her online that year, and trained to the point where she still had more left after completing both “Round Jersey” and “Eddystone Lighthouse to Plymouth Bay”, within three weeks of one another in 2023. Now she was ready to attempt this dream swim and go far beyond her previous limits.

A terrible storm hit near the beginning of her weather window, resulting in flooding and a state of emergency around the lake. As you might imagine, this would be enough to rattle any swimmer’s confidence. “My swim was in jeopardy, and it really hit me hard as I had put so much into it and was now at the mercy of the weather.” She was reassured by Patrick, who told her, “it will be fine, just keep your faith and keep on training.” 

Overcoming Self-Doubt 

Sometimes the most extraordinary people have no idea how extraordinary they are, while others seem to have unshakeable confidence in their abilities. When she arrived at the lake, Iris experienced a wave of self-doubt. “Did I do the right thing? Have I bitten off more than I can chew? 64 km is a long way. Lots of younger swimmers didn’t get across. I was worried, but everyone around me believed in me and was adamant I’ve got what it takes.” 

At the start

A lot of us are familiar with this style of thinking, and once it starts, it can be pretty difficult to overcome. But it’s important to know that if you feel this way, it doesn’t mean you are going to fail. Iris’ swim is proof of that. “I’m normally very quiet and focused when I start a swim and not at all emotional, but this time I was in tears even before I hit the water,” she said. She gave herself, “a kick up the backside,” noting, “I eliminated all the negative thoughts and concentrated on the job in hand. I knew it wouldn’t be easy with the wind, currents (vortices), cold, dark, fatigue and self doubts, but I would give it my best shot.”

The First Day and Night

Buoyed by this more positive frame of mind, Iris set off and began to feel better as the day unfolded. She made good progress, and only suffered one low point in later afternoon, where she described feeling “a weird feeling of cold going through my whole body. Not a shiver but more like anxiety which made me tense up.” She got through this difficult point by reminding herself that she would not be making any decisions at night, and if she could just keep going until night, she wouldn’t be getting out until at least the morning. She made it to nightfall and actually ended up enjoying the night swim, which brought peaceful waters and a sense she could let go of her worries.

The Finish

With daybreak, she felt, “ready to finish what I’d started.” She swam forward with purpose, setting benchmark goals as she grew closer and closer to her destination. Her crew lined up on the side of the boat, cheering her on, pointing ahead to a yellow building, which was at the finish line. 

“I knew I was exhausted and could feel that I was at my limit but I came this far, I’m not quitting now. I started praying to the lake, ‘please let me pass, let me finish this swim’,” she later wrote. 

She took her final strokes, and then her first few wobbly steps after being in the water for thirty hours. A crowd of people cheered her arrival on the shore. It was an important day for her, one she says she’ll remember forever, but it was an important day for others too, who got to witness something extraordinary, powerful and inspiring. “My whole crew was in tears and even passing strangers were quite emotional.” At 60 years old, she had swum sixty-four kilometers, starting and ending on shore, following MSF rules, and becoming the first woman to do so.

The Finish