The END-WET 2022 Guest Swimmer is....
Hello everyone,
I'm very excited to be announcing this year's guest swimmer!
This individual holds the 27-mile course record for END-WET, set in 2013 at the age of 45. And returns to the event with excitement to be completing another swim in her own backyard.
Introducing our guest swimmer for 2022, Karen Zemlin
Karen is a lifelong open water swimmer with a love for wind, waves and distant horizons. Karen has been swimming nationally and internationally. Failing at her initial attempt to swim the English Channel in 2015, and embracing the failure. She returned in 2019, and her successful time of 10:17 made her the fastest woman 50+ to swim the English Channel, ever.
Karen has completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. Her swimming accomplishment are recognized in 3 Hall of Fames, including being the first person to represent open water swimming in the Minnesota Swimming Hall of Fame.
Karen continues to work towards her goals, knowing you earn it by wanting it bad enough to work for it. She and other Minnesota marathon swimmers are busy working on pioneer swims that will create destination marathon swims in the upper Midwest.
Other Notable Marathon Astonishments:
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English Channel, 10:17, Second faster time overall for swimmers 50+ male or female, with the 3rd fastest swim of the channel in 2019 at age 51.
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Karen has swum Lake Mille Lacs twice and in 2019 had the first official documented swim of Lake Mille Lacs via the Marathon Swimming Federation.
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Karen’s 9 hour 44 minute Catalina Channel swim was the fastest swim by a women in 2018. Karen’s Catalina observer saying “She was all business. Got in, swam like a maniac, got out. And, just like that, all done!”
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2018, Ron Collins, founder of the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim said, “Swimming on a calm day, going the length of Tampa Bay in less than 10 hours is an amazing feat. Karen was able to battle choppy 1-2 foot waves and a 15-knot wind right from the start to win the event.” 9:55
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Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, 3rd place, age 46, in 7:23 (2014)
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Henley Marathon swim (2015), 1st place overall, River Thames just 4 days after being pulled out of the English Channel less than a mile from France for hyperthermia.
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She is a member of the Half Century club for the English Channel and Catalina Channel for swimmers 50+ years old.
Welcome Karen!