From the Triangle to the English Channel: 17-year-old takes on swimming challenge

A Triangle teenager is preparing to take on one of the world's most challenging endurance swims next month as she attempts to cross the English Channel.

Seventeen-year-old Lorelei Schmidt will make her attempt on Aug. 4, a milestone that would add to an already accomplished open-water swimming career.

Schmidt said her passion for open-water swimming began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when pool closures pushed her into lakes and other outdoor venues.

"You can go to the same place and do the same swim over and over and over again every single day, and no two are going to be the same," Schmidt said.

The challenge and unpredictability of open-water swimming kept her engaged, leading her to progressively longer endurance events.

"I'm just swimming, swimming, swimming," Schmidt said. "Every thirty minutes, I stop, tread water, get something to eat, and then go back."

Among her accomplishments are completing the Catalina Channel in California and the 20 Bridges Swim around Manhattan Island. Crossing the English Channel would complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.

"The weather can change so quickly, and it can get pretty ugly. It's a big shipping channel. There's a lot of traffic. There's a lot of moving parts. I don't have a shred of doubt that she won't finish," said John McDonald, Lorelei's coach with Marlins of Raleigh.

The English Channel is 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, though swimmers often travel a longer distance because of tides and currents.

"It's rarely a straight swim because there's currents to deal with. She could be in the water for 11 hours," McDonald said.

The weather could also affect Schmidt's final start time and date.

"On some swims, I'll have a kayaker next to me and a boat. There's always a bigger boat," Schmidt said, referring to the support vessel where her family and coach can follow her progress.

McDonald credited Schmidt's endurance and consistency for her success in the sport.

"It's pretty remarkable (how well) her technique stays on form," he said. "She's like a diesel engine that just doesn't seem to want to stop."

Schmidt is considering swimming competitively in college, but her focus remains on the challenge ahead.

"Swimming from one country to another, it's going to be a really cool thing. I need to have my passport on the boat," Schmidt said.

Schmidt's planned swim date coincides with the 100th anniversary of Gertrude Ederle becoming the first woman to successfully swim the English Channel.

As she prepares for the attempt, Schmidt reflected on how far she has come since beginning her open-water swimming journey.

"If my 14-year-old self was looking at this after having a completed five-and-a-half-hour swim, she'd be like, 'That was hard enough. What do you mean we're going longer?'" Schmidt said. "I take pride in how much further I've gotten in this."

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