A native of La Jolla, California, I swam competitively in my early teens, at which time I met channel swimming legend Florence Chadwick.  It was then that my dream to swim the English Channel was born.  It was not until I re-discovered my childhood sport of swimming in my forties that this dream would finally come true.  I have successfully swum the Maui Channel, the Catalina Channel and the English Channel both one way and two ways, as well as winning both my age group and first woman overall in local open water competitions.

I have been honored by the athletic and swimming community for my channel swimming accomplishments – most recently my two-way English Channel swim in July of 2004.  I received the San Diego Hall of Champions Star of the Month Award and was honored by the Foundation for Women.  In March of 2005 I attended the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation Annual Awards Dinner in Dover, England, where I was awarded the prestigious Gertrude Ederle Award for the Most Meritorious Swim by a Woman in 2004.  This award is sponsored by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.

In 2011, I was recognized for my swims, as well as coaching, mentoring and supporting other open water swimmers, and inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors bestowed upon open water swimmers.

My latest project has been blending both of my passions – swimming and yoga.  I have been a certified hatha yoga teacher since 2001 and am designing yoga workshops and programs specifically addressing swimmers’ issues.  Injury prevention and recovery are known benefits of a yoga practice, not only for swimmers but all athletes.  Rather than practicing Power Yoga and “working out” more, we will be exploring the Power of Yoga to access strength and balance of a different kind.  A new clarity and confidence will come as a result of this reliable tool: a yoga practice.  I will be addressing swimmer-specific body issues, as well as offering classes in cooler environments that open-water swimmers, who are acclimated to colder temperatures, are able to tolerate.  I can personally attest to the benefits of a yoga practice. Both my doctor and my optometrist have asked me if I’m one of those “Benjamin Button people”…perhaps it is working?

Find me on Facebook 
— La Jolla Yoga Therapy
— Balanced Vedic Living
— Wish Upon a Star Coaching

• E-RYT 500 (Registered Yoga Teacher, Yoga Alliance)
  • 500 Hour Certification — Master Yoga Foundation 2000-2001
  • 200 Hour Vinyasa Certification 2011
  • Advanced Training in Raja Yoga
  • Advanced Training in Teaching Restorative Hatha Yoga
• Reiki Master-Teacher Level III
• Embodyment® Training — Master Yoga Foundation
• Certified in Quantum Touch Hands-on Healing
• Training in Ayurvedic Principles, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Anatomy & Physiology, Sanskrit and Marma Chikitsa — Ayurvedic Institute, Dr Vasant Lad
• Yoga for Cancer Therapy Training
• iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation — Richard Miller PhD
• Current member — International Association of Yoga Therapists
• Current member — National Ayurvedic Medical Association

• Completed many long distance open water swims around the world, including the Catalina Channel and English Channel, both one-way and two-ways
• Former World Record Holder: oldest person to complete 2-way English Channel swim
• Coach and Official Observer for English and Catalina Channel swims
• Experienced at coaching Open Water swimming races at the elite level
• Open Water Consultant to Swim Coaches
• 2012-13 Online Open Water Coach for United States Masters Swimming
• Recognized by San Diego Unified School District for developing yoga programs for high school swimmers — 2013 Hall of Fame Inductee
• International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame inductee — Honour Swimmer, 2010

“The things that last in this world are, after all, the things of the heart instead of the hand; the things of service instead of show. The man or woman that becomes famous does more than swim channels. They are those who help to conquer the surging waves of adversity, the mental storms, and the seemingly unconquerable tides of motion.”

— from an article about Myrtle Huddleston’s Catalina Channel swim: Feb. 23, 1927