SARAH THOMAS

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA

You can support Sarah and the fight against cancer by:

• - Donating in support of Sarah's mission here. Funds raised by Sarah support clinical trials and cancer research through Swim Across America.
• - Following and sharing Sarah's story on social media.

Sarah Thomas, 40, is an ultra-marathon swimmer who holds the current world record for the longest continuous (unassisted, non-wetsuit) swim done in current-neutral conditions. That record-breaking swim covered 104.6 miles over 67 hours and was completed in Lake Champlain (USA) in August of 2017. Shortly after completing this swim, Sarah was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. She was just 35 years old. While undergoing aggressive cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy, Sarah never gave up on her dream of doing a swim that most people thought was impossible. One year after completing her cancer treatments, Sarah did just that- becoming the first person to complete a four-way crossing of the English Channel in 54 hours and 10 minutes. Recently, Sarah became the first person in history to complete a two-way crossing of the North Channel, 21 hours and 46 minutes in freezing water, peppered with giant jellyfish.

Sarah lives near Denver, Colorado, with her husband Ryan, their two beagles and their rescue mutt. When she is not training or coaching open water swimmers, Sarah works as a full-time veterinarian recruiter. You can read her full story and full list of marathon swims at the Sarah Thomas Swims website.

"I was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in 2017 at the age of 35. It was a terrifying time and we didn't know how much my treatments would impact my ability to swim in the future. Being able to partner with Swim Across America combines two of my passions: Open water swimming and doing everything I can to fight cancer so that others won't have to go through what I went through. "

The money raised by Sarah Thomas will fund a cancer research project guided by the Swim Across America Research and Grants Committee that will be granted in the name of her incredible challenges.

Click here to learn more about the innovative breakthrough research that Swim Across America funds.

"After my first visit to the Hoover Dam in February 2021, I knew: I had to swim across Lake Mead. Water levels in Lake Mead are in danger of dropping so low that a swim may not always be possible across this beautiful and important body of water.

Lake Mead is the largest man-made reservoir in the United States, and to my knowledge, no one has swum a full length of the lake. I started the swim in South Cove, where my favorite river, The Colorado, enters the lake. I then followed the lake 50 miles until I ran out of water at the Hoover Dam. The swim took 24 hours and 45 minutes to complete.

The water was a balmy 78 on the surface and around 75 degrees in the swimming depth. I’m a cold water swimmer, so this was a bit warmer than I’m used to, but it ended up being lovely. I’m so excited to be able to accomplish swimming in Lake Mead, and as a breast cancer survivor, to do it during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, all while raising crucial funds for cancer research with Swim Across America."

"I have never seen a shark, but when I swam the Molokai Channel, it was dark and scary- and I'm certain they were there! I have been stung by A LOT of jellyfish. In my double North Channel swim last summer, I was covered from head to toe with lions mane jellyfish stings that oozed and scabbed over after the swim. They were so huge I often couldn't see where the tentacles started and stopped! One of my most memorable encounters was in the Cook Strait (New Zealand), I was having a rough patch; the waters were really choppy and I'd swallowed a lot of sea water and my stomach hurt. It was my first big swim after finishing my cancer treatments (I was swimming 6 months after I'd had my last day of radiation). I was seriously contemplating quitting and doubting my ability to keep going. Then, out of nowhere, a giant pod of dolphins appeared. They swam all around me, jumping and playing for nearly 45 minutes. It was really incredible. My crew could see them jumping and playing, too. (No, I wasn't hallucinating! hahaha). That interaction really pulled me out of a rough patch and got me motivated to keep going."

In Lake Powell (80 miles, 2016, just up the river from Lake Mead). "The first night was this beautiful, crisp clear night. It was my first time to know I'd need to swim through TWO nights and I was dreading it. But the night was so beautiful and clear I could see shooting stars through my goggles. It didn't ease my mind, but gave me something to think about that was bigger than me and what I was doing."

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SAASwim.com: Ultra-Marathon Swimmer Sarah Thomas Will Attempt 50-Mile Swim In Lake Mead From Colorado River To The Hoover Dam And Make Waves To Fight Cancer With Swim Across America

Newsweek: Lake Mead's Water Levels Give Swimmer Rare Chance to Make History

SwimSwam: ULTRA MARATHON SWIMMER SARAH THOMAS TO ATTEMPT 50-MILE SWIM IN LAKE MEAD

Hartford Courant: Monster jellyfish, freezing water didn’t deter marathon swimmer Sarah Thomas from making history

Santa Cruz Sentinel: Sarah Thomas endures rough conditions, swims across Monterey Bay

RedBull.com: 13 reasons we can be inspired by Sarah Thomas’ record-breaking Channel swim

5280.com: Sarah Thomas Beat Cancer. Then She Secured Another Open-Water Swimming Record

The Guardian: ‘Women have less ego. Men think: How hard can this be?’: the female ultra-athletes leading the field

Sports Illustrated: Open-Water Swimmer Sarah Thomas Didn’t Let Cancer Stop Her in Record-Breaking Quest

In the U.S., please contact Jeni Howard at jhoward@jhowardpr.com for media inquiries.