On April 25, 2022 I had a successful swim crossing of the length of the Sea of Galilee (AKA Lake Kinneret, Lake Kinnereth, and Lake Tiberias) in Israel in a time of 8 hours and 22 minutes setting a record for the oldest woman to swim the length. The distance was approximately 13 miles. The Sea of Galilee is recognized as the lowest fresh water lake in the world at 686 feet below sea level.
This swim was by far one of my favorite swims in my extensive swimming career due to it's rich Biblical history and scenic location. In addition, this swim is part of the Still Water Eight Challenge (includes Lake Ontario in Canada, Lake Tahoe in USA, Loch Ness in Scotland, Lake Taupo in New Zealand, Lake Malawi in Africa, Lake Titicaca in Peru, Lake Zurich in Switzerland, and Sea of Galilee in Israel). I have completed four of the eight..... Lake Windermere was part of the original challenge and I completed that in 2018 but was later removed due to revision of Challenge.
For any swimmer to be successful it takes teamwork. I had an incredible team: My son Tom did a fantastic job closely monitoring my swim. He provided nourishment of maple syrup and water every hour, and added electrolytes when needed. He was cheering me on the whole distance. Observer Guy Cohen of the Galilee Marathon Swimming Association (governing body of this swim) galileemsa@gmail.com was outstanding in every aspect of this swim. I will always cherish his joyful smile and pure delight when I reached the finish line. It is very obvious that Guy is passionate about marathon swimming and wants every swimmer to reach their goal. His Association is knowledgeable about the rules and regulations of marathon swimming. My boat Pilot Stas Schhpek was incredible....he plotted my route from North to South and kept me within the charted course. He's an outstanding pilot...one of the best pilots I have had in my swimming career. He is associated with Wakeboard and Wakesurf School www.wakeboard.co.il. The owner Lior Eliyahu wakeisrael@gmail.comarranged a slot for me last year and he was very helpful in making recommendations on where to stay.
We stayed at the Ein Gev Holiday Resort resort@eingev.org.il in Ein Gev on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee only a few miles from Lior's marina. This resort has breathtaking views of the lake, a swim zone for training, huge breakfast buffet included in price of room, and staff that are friendly and courteous. I would highly recommend using a rental car while in Israel. Taxi service and Uber is a challenge in this area of Israel.
I want to thank my home team: my husband Jim (taking care of our kitten Molly), my daughter Sarah and grandchildren for their love and support. A special thank you to Kirsten Read (swim instructor) for her many helpful tips in improving my stroke. And, thank you to Westbrook Pool Director John Smith for his positive energy in promoting swimming. A huge thank you to Tom, Guy, Stas, and Lior for helping me to reach my dream of swimming the length of the Sea Galilee.
Contact information: patgallant.charette@gmail.com