Ep 37: The Summer I Swam Pretty: Everything You Didn’t Know About Marathon Swimming
What does it really feel like to swim under the Golden Gate Bridge, cross an ocean channel at night, or share the water with whales? This week, I’m joined by marathon swimmer Lauren Lesyna, who takes us inside the fascinating world of open water swimming.
I quiz Lauren on the female history of San Francisco’s Dolphin Club, the world’s longest unassisted swims, and myths about jellyfish stings — while she shares incredible stories from her own adventures.
Lauren has tackled some of the world’s most iconic swims, from the English Channel and North Channel, to California classics like Catalina Channel, Angel Island, and Lake Tahoe, all the way to the Strait of Gibraltar. Along the way, she’s collected stories about whales, sea lions, bioluminescence, jellyfish stings, and the incredible team effort it takes to survive hours in the open ocean.
From history-making swims to jellyfish stings in the shower (yes, really), Lauren brings epic stories, humor, and insights that will make you see the Bay in a whole new way.
In this episode, we cover:
🏊♀️ The first woman to crash a men-only swim at SF’s Dolphin Club
🌉 What it’s like to swim under the Golden Gate Bridge
🕵️♂️ Did the Alcatraz escapees actually make it?
🐋 Swimming alongside whales (and why sea lions are scarier)
🌌 Bioluminescence in the Kaiwi Channel
🦈 Menacing Cookie Cutter Sharks
🩱 Jellyfish in swimsuits (the infamous post-swim shower story)
🚤 How pilot boats keep swimmers alive (and fed!)
Dive in now for laughs, swim history, and a few trivia tangents along the way. Don’t forget to follow Trivia Tangents so you never miss an episode!
Links:
Lauren’s website: https://www.swimsintheswells.com/
FBI History: Alcatraz Escape
