by Jessica Kieras
Suzanne Dearworth began participating in Florida’s most popular races (Alligator Lighthouse, Swim Around Key West, Swim Miami) in 2022. She swam around Manhattan earlier this year and continued to swim through the season, all the while considering a marathon swim in her home waters. On September 19th, she got a call from local observer, Paul Valitutto, who’d been monitoring the weather and tidal conditions in the area. “Hey, if you wanna do that swim, tomorrow is the day,” he told her. “That swim” was an approximately sixteen mile route circumnavigating Anna Maria Island near Bradenton, Florida. The tides were forecasted to be some of the biggest of the year and September 20th was smack in the middle of a the “King Tides” window. With careful planning of the start time and location, Suzanne and her team could have a tidal push throughout the swim around the island.
Suzanne was drawn to the route for its white sand beaches and clear blue water. She said she was looking for a relaxed swim, one that she could enjoy without the pressure of the clock, time and competition that go with organized events. But in September, the water is warm. With water temperatures ranging from 87° to 90°F (30° to 32°C), it is a whole different type of challenge for the endurance athlete to manage their pace and nutrition without overheating or becoming dangerously dehydrated. Relaxation (along with acclimation to warm temperatures) might actually be part of the strategy involved with successfully completing these swims.
When she started off at a brisk stroke rate of 70, her crew reminded her to “relax, slow down and enjoy”. Afterall, this was her mission and focus for the swim. “It was just me, my kayaker, and the water and scenery. I prefer this. It wasn’t planned ahead. It made for less pressure and enjoyment of the swim. And this is the best way for me to swim,” she told me.
A lot of ultramarathon swimmers are interested in goals such as checking swims off various lists, pushing themselves to the limits, or setting records. However, there is great value to be gained in doing a long swim focused simply on enjoyment and relaxation.
Suzanne agreed with me, “I encourage relaxation, yes, a swim like this every so often. It helps to just feel the water and be in it and see what one can do without pressures of a clock, a race, a time, and competing with others. This, to me, helps avoid burnout in the sport of marathon swimming—to try a cool venue just on one’s own. It is an advantage to not compete as it helps me focus on just my love of the water and knowing whatever I am doing is enough.”
An element that may have helped Suzanne take this approach was that the swim was supported by just two crew members in kayaks, making the swim ultimately much more low-key and economical than your average boat-supported ultraswim. Paul Valitutto observed in one kayak, while Shelley Stewart served as crew chief in another. The pair mapped out a gps route before the swim and followed it to navigate the best route around the island. Paul acknowledged the difficulties of observing and documenting from a kayak, “ she was so fast, every time I stopped to take measurements and notes, it was about a minute or so, and she would get 100+ yards ahead of me.” Some techniques that may help observers document from a kayak are: using a tandem kayak or Hobie (peddle) kayak, writing on waterproof paper (“write in the rain” notebook), or using voice-to-text to record some measurements on a phone.
Suzanne completed the approximately sixteen mile clockwise circumnavigation in a zipping fast time of 6:39:44, pending MSF ratification.
