I became a long-distance swimmer in 2020 and have swum around 70 different islands in Tampa Bay, Florida, and beyond. I was the first person to swim around St. Pete Beach in 2022. At the age of 62, my tandem swim partner, Ken Morgan, and I were the Oldest Male-Female Tandem Swim Team to complete 20 Bridges around Manhattan Island. I intend to swim an open water 10K in all 50 states and have completed 19 so far. I want to discover what my body is capable of. I’m a U.S. Army veteran, mother of six, grandmother, and author of 13 books.
The determination required to complete elite swims, particularly the Oceans Seven, inspired me to consider possibilities.
Arguelles’ trials and triumphs, dreams, physical limits, and adaptation to challenging situations demonstrate verve and potential. At times, I felt I was along with him on his journey.
Well written and captivating, I read this book in a few days.
On August 3, 2017, Antonio Argüelles swam 35 kilometers from Northern Ireland to Scotland. When he arrived on the Scottish shore after a swim of nearly 14 hours through hypothermic currents wearing only a speedo, cap, and goggles, he became just the seventh person ever to conquer the Oceans Seven, an aquatic achievement on par with the Seven Summits. His feat made international news, in part because at 58 years old, he became the oldest athlete ever to complete the challenge. The Forever Swim illuminates key strategies anyone can utilize to pursue their own goals and reminds us that no…
Captivating story of the first person to swim 1780 miles around Great Britain in 157 days.
The extreme fitness and mental and physical stamina required to achieve this endeavor are inspiring. Some people might consider an extreme athlete unrelatable and in a class of their own, but I gained insights into how I can improve and seek excellence at my level.
'Incredible individual, incredible book, incredible story.' CHRIS HEMSWORTH
'A hero who is as humble as he is resilient... testament to a "never give up" spirit!' BEAR GRYLLS
'From reading this book, the message that comes shining through is this: you can achieve anything.' ANT MIDDLETON
Bestselling author and award-winning adventurer Ross Edgley has been studying the art of resilience for years, applying all he has learned to become the first person in history to swim around Great Britain, breaking multiple world records. Now Ross focuses on mental strength, stoicism and the training needed to create an unbreakable…
Germany 1938. Herman watches in horror as his cousin is arrested. As a Jew, he realizes he must flee Germany, a decision that catapults him into a life changed forever by the gathering storm of world events.
Part coming-of-age fiction, part immigrant tale, part military adventure, Immigrant Soldier follows Herman’s…
From the intensity of her competitive pool swimming to long-distance swimming, what impacted me most was Becca's candid description of her mindset, feelings, shortcomings, and life as an athlete.
Becca admits that she traded a normal life in exchange for chasing her dreams, which required intensity. My favorite part was the story of her Hawaiian island channel crossings. She described her elation, serenity, sheer guts, and tenacity of what it takes to persevere in a difficult open water challenge.
She powered through with everything she had, fully to her limit. Some circumstances require us to push through extreme physical discomfort and unbearable mental challenges. This is a story of NEVER GIVING UP!
Becca Mann was born to swim. With a fierce determination and a passion for the water, she chased her dreams from the chlorine-soaked pools of her hometown to the elite ranks of the USA National Team. But after she poured her heart into the sport for decades, Becca's dreams came crashing down when she narrowly missed the Olympics three times.
In Outside the Lanes, Becca shares the highs and lows of her swimming career with unflinching honesty and a splash of humour. But this isn't just a story about swimming. It's a story about a girl who refused to be…
Stories of 33 accomplished open water South African swimmers include history-making, record-breaking, courageous, outrageous, and sometimes dangerous swims. The stories show their preparation, training, why they challenge themselves, and how they completed the swims.
I couldn’t put the book down and read it within three days. I devoured each story. Kiki Marx swam across the Dead Sea. Herman Van Der Westhuizen swam several of the Oceans Seven routes and was close to drowning. He felt he challenged himself to the brink of his ability.
Harold Warrington’s advice on how to overcome fatigued muscles was to employ a 10-second rule: complain for 10 seconds and then no more.
This book features the accounts of 33 open water swimmers: their highs and lows, their successes and failures. There are stories of swims done all over the world - including the iconic English Channel and Robben Island crossings - and accounts of record-breaking swims. There are common threads that run through the narratives. From a physical perspective, there's the commitment to hours and hours of training, there the perseverance, tenacity and sometimes discomfort which goes along with that. More importantly, though, it's more often than not the mental aspect that is critical. How else do swimmers go the distance in…
Radical Friend highlights the remarkable life of Amy Kirby Post, a nineteenth-century abolitionist and women's rights activist who created deep friendships across the color line to promote social justice. Her relationships with Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, Sojourner Truth, William C. Nell, and other Black activists from the 1840s to the…
Comprehensive description of the Maui Nui, a 30-mile marathon swim endurance challenge over the course of three days.
Jonathan is an excellent storyteller and takes us on a detailed journey of the trials and tribulations of the unpredictability and complexity of his open water challenge in Hawaii. Things don’t often go according to the original plan, and he shows how we must be flexible when the intended start time is delayed, the escort boat breaks down, or when the weather and water conditions are rough.
He shares the safe and unsafe challenges that may arise. This is all part of long-distance swimming. I appreciated the details he provided on feeds, logistics, successes, challenges, and teamwork.
Chasing Limits is the gripping account of an epic four day open ocean adventure known as the Maui Nui; three consecutive stage swims spanning 30 miles in the challenging and unpredictable waters of Hawaii. From the grueling physical preparation to the periods of self-doubt, this book explores the thought process of a relative newcomer to open ocean swimming, attempting to go beyond his comfort limits in order to achieve the impossible. With unforeseen challenges and fierce battles with Mother Nature, the reader will get a true sense of what hard work, commitment, and curiosity can lead to when faced with…
Lynn M. Griesemer and her tandem swim partner Ken Morgan set a record after completing a 28.5 circumnavigation of Manhattan Island on 8/9/25. They were the Oldest Male-Female Team to do so at the age of 62.
Swimming Around Manhattan is an inspiring story of an underdog with no competitive swimming background who overcame adversity, trained for an elite event, and successfully finished it. How? With unwavering determination. Lynn describes how she did it and invites readers to find and follow their passion. Book includes 76 color photos and three additional 20 Bridges swimmers’ stories.
As a retired systems designer who spent decades immersed in the logical world of technology and psychology, I have always been fascinated by the places where cold logic must make room for the unexplained. My life has been a balancing act between the practical and the deeply metaphysical, guided by…
This biography for middle-grade readers and up explains who Jane Addams was and why she caused such a stir worldwide. The story follows Addams' first childhood realization of how poverty limits lives, livelihoods, and health to her becoming one of the most beloved―and disliked―women of her day. She worked to…
