Stories from the Water
Where land meets water, an invitation lingers—not just between elements, but between versions of yourself. You could remain on shore—where it's safe, familiar, predictable. Or you could cross into the unknown.
Stories from the Water is where we dive into the courage it takes to begin, the resilience that keeps us moving forward, and the wisdom that only emerges in the space between.
If you have ever stood at the edge of a body of water and wondered what it would be like to swim to the other side, you're in good company. Whether you're a seasoned swimmer, aspiring adventurer, or just someone intrigued by the water's mysterious pull, allow these stories to reveal what lies beneath the surface—not just of the water, but of ourselves.
Stories from the Water
Mark Sheridan's Marathon Swim Story
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Today we spoke with Mark Sheridan from his office in London. Growing up Mark was an all around athlete, but couldn't conceive of swimming more than a mile until relatively recently. Being smack dab in the middle of the financial crisis as an employee of Leman Brothers in 2008, he sought the pool for comfort. After hiring a coach about a decade ago he was able to rapidly increase distance once his form improved.
Since then, Mark has become a distance swimming addict. After swimming through the entire British Long Distance Swimming Association calendar he started knocking out swims in the United States. In addition to achieving swimming nirvana, Mark has logged several British firsts along the way. While he's done the English channel a few times Mark prefers swimming in a lake surrounded by mountains.
In his own words: My name is Mark Sheridan. I live near Sevenoaks in Kent (UK) and am a mad keen open water ultra-distance swimmer. I have completed many swims over 21 miles including 43 mile Lac Leman (4th solo ever & 1st Brit), the English Channel (twice), Loch Lomond (44th person), the Catalina Channel in California, Two-way Windermere, Lake Tahoe, Lake Memphremagog and SCAR to name a few...I served on the committee of the British Long Distance Swimming Association for 7 years (President 2017), am the Swim Secretary the famously gruelling 9-mile Champion of Champions and distance training camps. I was awarded British Long Distance Swimming Association's Swimmer of the Year in 2013 and also won the Global Marathon Swimming Federation's Barra Award for Best Year in 2015. Above all, I enjoy sharing my experiences to help others reach their goals and giving back to this wonderful sport on a voluntary basis. I currently hold the British record for Lake Tahoe solo which I set in August 2018 taking almost 90mins off the prior benchmark. In June 2019, I completed 20 Bridges to bag the title of 'Triple Crown'.
Be sure to enjoy Mark's blog!
http://reminiscencesofalongdistanceswimmer.blogspot.com/
If you'd like to be a guest on Marathon Swim Stories, mailto:shannon@intrepidwater.com
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Join a supportive group of limit pushers at The Marathon Swimming Collective
Music credit:
Epic Inspiration by Rafael Krux
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5447-epic-inspiration-
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Swimming sounds courtesy of swimmer Todd Lantry.
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