Swimmers Profile No 19 Tobey-Anne Saracino

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Tobey is another swimmer out of the New York stable of distance swimmers I met Tobey last year in Dover where she was nervously waiting for her turn and fortunately for her she made it on the last day of the neap tide and did a great job in tough conditions.

I love food but I could not believe the amount of pasta she consumed before her attempt and her casual attitude, maybe it was those few reds that calmed her nerves .


1: Name- Tobey-Anne Saracino

2: Age- 33

3: Resides- Rye, New York (USA)

4: Swimming Highlights- Started marathon swimming in 2006. 2006, 2007 Swim Across the Sound (New York to Connecticut, 17 mile swim) Amate ur Record Holder; 2007 Tampa Bay Marathon; 2007 Swim Around Alcatraz; 2007 Chesapeake Bay Swim; 2007 USMS National Championship; 2008 English Channel

5: Biggest influence and coach – Dave Parcells (marathon swimmer and mentor)

6: Swimming Idol- The entire CT swimming group (Dave Parcells, Marcy McDonald, Liz Fry, Marcia Cleveland, Jim Bayles, Dennis Dressel). These guys are the top of the top when learning the ropes in marathon swimming!

7: Pool or Ocean- Ocean...no walls, no lines, no confinement! Favorite times to swim are at night or during sunrise.

8: How many kms a week-
50-60km per week when training for a swim.

9: Longest swim and how many hours in the water- English Channel (8/28/08) 13 hours 33 minutes

10: Favorite place you have swam- La Jolla Cove with the famous Anne Cleveland :) and her trusty Dolphins. Swimming around the Palm in Dubai with sting rays wasn't bad either.

11: Coldest place you have swum and temp- 49F in San Francisco Bay during the Swim Around Alcatraz.

12: Roughest swim eg. Wave height and wind speed- English Channel. It was supposed to be 5 knot winds but no such luck. Conditions were Force 4/5, 15-20 knot winds with 10-12 foot swells/waves. Throughout the swim all I could see was the full deck and hull of the boat the entire swim! Was pretty nervous for the crew.

13: Swimming goals- Swim Manhattan and Catalina...eventually.

14: What or who motivates you- At the Tampa Bay Marathon in 2006, Dave Parcells my mentor had a massive heart attack and died while we were swimming. He was t he biggest advocate for the sport and really had such a passion for it. He was my go-to person from day 1 when I decided to swim the Channel. His drive, determination and courage motivates me to follow my dreams and never give up.

15: How much is Physical% 100% Mental% 110%. To actually get to the Channel, you need to train your body so it is 100% ready and you need to train your mind so it's 110% ready.

16: Favorite saying- "You're less than half a mile from France Love. You are almost done swimming across the English Channel!" Reg Brickell, Viking Princess Boat Captain

17: Biggest fear swimming eg..cold jellyfish,sharks etc.. Jellyfish stink, sharks are nerve wracking but my biggest fear is drowning in open water.

18: Swimming close calls- In Watch Hill, Rhode Island I was doing a 6 hour birthday swim right after a Hurricane came through. 3.5 hours into the swim my kayaker saw a fin pop up 10-feet to my left. The fin was there hanging out in=2 0the area for a while before it disappeared. Later we found out that due to the Hurricane the Great Whites were all mixed up and swimming around Watch Hill (sharks really don't inhabit these waters too often). A little bit later the helicopters came out and were searching for the shark!

19: Tips for other swimmers – Everybody is different...each person will need to create a program that works within their schedule and abilities. The things that worked for me...Research what you are getting yourself into; Know what works and what doesn't work for you during a long swim; Learn as much as you can from the experts (swimmers who have completed the Channel) but only implement what will work for you; ALWAYS plan for the worst and hope for the best; Fully commit to training and preparing to be successful; Most importantly, never give up! This is an extreme sport, know that going into it!

20: What would you eat and drink during a swim- Normally I have Gatorade and Maxim throughout a long swim. Unfortunately, Gatorade and Channel water are not a good combination (I learned the hard way). Luckily, Marcy had mentioned having water, honey and maxim as a back-up so we ended up using that for the fi nal 10 hours of the swim.

21: Worst place you have swam- Long Island Sound through some unknown chemical. Our skin was burning terribly when we got out.

22: Worst injuries- I tore up my rotator cuffs on both shoulders swimming in College. It lead to arthritis in my left shoulder.

23: Favorite... Food: Italian and Sushi Drink: Nice cold beer or a glass of Cab Music: Rock
Book: James Patterson, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas Holiday destination: Zermatt, Switzerland

24: What do you think of when you are in the water for hours- I'm ADHD so picture about 100 TV's in your head always playing a different channel...that's a bit what it's like. Thoughts of clear quality revolve around reaching my goal and not giving up. Throughout the Channel swim I had to keep reminding myself that it was only one day in my life and tomorrow would be better.

25: Where is one place you haven’t or would like to swim- Zurich, Switzerland

26: 3 people you would invite to dinner- American Football Players: Emmitt Smith (Dallas Cowboys), Mike Vrabel (NE Patriots) and Michael Strahan (NY Giants)...met all three but would love to talk football with all of them at the same time.

27: Cold water tips- I always had a Green Tea Latte from Starbuck's before I would get into cold water. It was my treat to myself for the torture I was about to inflict.

28: Toughest competitor- Myself. With three girls close in age who all swam, my mother taught us very early on to compete with ourselves not each other.

29: Diet and how much is weight a factor on long distance swims- I adapted the "See it, Eat it" Diet for the Channel. I gained 20-25 pounds of fat and needed ever single bit of it for the swim. Water temp was2060, air temp was 60, wind was against us and we didn't see the sun all day.

30: Pet hate- Sea lice. They are terrible in LI Sound and they get stuck in your suit and come home with you. They are the size of a pin head so you can't see them and when they get under your skin it looks like poison ivy but itches much worse! It's awful!

31: Biggest thrill- Swimming the Channel, Skydiving, Rock climbing...anything with a bit of edge.

32: Favorite sport besides swimming- Skiing

33: Who would you like to sit next to on a plane- Lance Armstrong

34: Car you drive- Gray Ford Escape

35: Next swimming challenge- Getting back in the water consistently

36: Occupation- Sports Marketing

37: D.O.B. 7/18/75
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