Former La Salle University Swimmer Swims Around Bermuda... In Record Time
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Lori King is a Norristown native and a La Salle University product, last month she accomplished quite the feat and became just the second person, and first woman, to swim around the island of Bermuda.
King swam the breaststroke at La Salle until she graduated in 1997, she actually took a break from swimming for several years before getting back into the water, she said her decision to pick Bermuda just fell in place.
"Every time I do an open water swim, it's always about seeing how much further I could go," she said. "As I built up miles from different swims, the 24 hour swim kept on coming up. I had a connection with Bermuda, I had gone for the past few years for this swim 'round the sound' and I loved it. Fell in love with the island, fell in love with the people and the water. So I knew when I wanted to attempt a 24-hour swim that Bermuda was going to be the place."
King said this open water swim was about a full year in the making, weather conditions actually led to her starting the swim a day or so early, but she didn't let it bother her.
"Once I was in, it was on," she said. "I knew that I wasn't going to get out unless they pulled me, and I just had to deal with the conditions that I was given."
She said it is all about finding a rhythm.
"You know the first two-and-a-half hours, I'm always a little uncomfortable and trying to find my groove."
King found that groove and finished the 36 and a half mile swim in just over 21 hours, easily the fastest time ever.
"I was crying, I was happy, just all these emotions were just flooding in."
King said she has other open water challenges she is very interested in attempting down the road.