Local Endurance Swimmer Becomes First Known Person to Swim Around Charleston Peninsula

On October 2, James Island resident and Charleston City Council Member, Kathleen Wilson, became the first known person to swim around the entire Charleston peninsula in nearly seven hours (one hour quicker than she expected).

The 16.25 mile swim began at the Interstate 526 bridge over the Wando River to the I-526 bridge over the Ashley River. Three friends accompanied here in kayaks while she faced choppy waters at several spots along the route.

The 47-year-old endurance swimmer says she did the swim to create interest in holding an endurance swim in Charleston. Wilson added that the ultimate goal of a endurance swimming event in Charleston would be to raise money to build “much-needed, adequate aquatics facilities in Charleston.”

Wilson has been doing endurance swims for the last 13 years, with swims ranging from 11.2 to 28.5 miles. Here are the endurance swims she’s completed:

  • 1997: Around Key West, Fla., 12.5 miles.
  • 1999: Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, New York, 28.5 miles.
  • 2001: English Channel, England/France, 21 miles.
  • 2003: Tampa Bay Marathon Swim, Florida, 24 miles.
  • 2004: Catalina Island to Long Beach, Calif., 22 miles.
  • 2005: Lake Zurich Marathon Swim, Switzerland, 17 miles.
  • 2006: St. Vincent’s Swim Across the Sound, New York, 15 miles.
  • 2007: Santa Barbara (Calif.) Channel Swim, 20 miles.
  • 2008: Strait of Gibraltar, Spain to Morocco, 11.2 miles.
  • 2010: Charleston peninsula, I-526 bridge to bridge, 16.25 miles

Way to go Kathleen and good luck on your next swim!

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