Birmelin's Bio
* Age-group, summer club & high school swimming
* Collegiate club water polo, Michigan State University * Swim coach- Summer club, high school and US Masters Swimming (Level 2 coach) * Middle school teacher * Support team - husband, swim dog and daughter * 2009 & 2011 USMS Long Distance All-Star * 2009, 2010, 2011 USMS Long Distance All-American Fun Training Swims
My training partners
My supportive husband is on the jet ski and alongside me in the pool every morning. We met at a Michigan Masters Swim Meet. Our sweet golden retriever loves to swim, at any time. Thank you to friends Cheryl & Dave, and Karen, for swimming or paddling alongside me. Thank you to Lynn, Mark, and Tom for boat & swim support. Thank you to my parents for years of swim lessons and being my swim team support and shuttle. Thanks, "Iron Granny," for attending my swim meets and pouring cold water on my back before my summer swim meets to make me swim faster!
 As an 8-and-under, my sister, cousin and I practiced the start position on the dining room chairs. |
2013 Planned Open Water Swims
2012 Open Water Swims Swam 5k at 34 weeks into pregnancy.
2011 Open Water Swims
06.18 - 2011 United States Masters Swimming (USMS)
25k Solo National Championship, Noblesville, IN. Five loops of a 5k course in the Morse Reservoir. View the course. 07.06 - Motor City Mile 5k, Detroit River 07.10 - Tawas City to Charity Island, Lake Huron 07.26 - Lake St. Clair Swim for Cystic Fibrosis, Grosse Pointe, MI 08.07 - Harbor Springs Coastal Crawl 3 mi 08.20 - English Channel, Dover, England to Wissant, France, 28 miles (24 nautical miles), 11h, 31m, 07s. 2010 Open Water Swims
09.25 - English Channel Qualifying Swim in Lake Huron, 6 hours in under 60 degree water, Tawas City, MI
09.01 - 5k Postal Pool Swim, Dearborn, MI 08.22 - Swim to the Moon 5K, Pinckney, MI 08.17 - Lake St. Clair Swim for Cystic Fibrosis, 14.21 Miles, Grosse Pointe, MI 08.01 - Harbor Springs Coastal Crawl 3 mi, Harbor Springs, MI 07.17 - USMS 10K National Open Water Championship, Noblesville, IN 07.10 - Traverse City 2 mi Open Water Swim, Duck Lake, Interlochen, MI 07.07 - Motor City 5k, Detroit River, Belle Isle, MI 04.11 - Golden Gate Bridge Swim, San Francisco, CA 04.10 - Alcatraz Swim, San Francisco, CA 2009 Open Water Swims
09.20 - Diamond Lake 10k Open Water Swim, Cassopolis, MI
08.24 - 5k Postal Pool Swim, Dearborn, MI 08.14 - 10k Postal Pool Swim, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 08.02 - Harbor Springs Coastal Crawl, 2 mi, Harbor Springs, MI 08.01 - USMS 10K National Open Water Championship, Harbor Springs, MI 07.11 - Muncie Endurathon Aquabike, 1.2 mi swim & 56 mi bike, Muncie, IN 07.08 - Motor City Mile, Detroit River, Belle Isle, MI 07.05 - Howell Aquathlon, Open Water Swim, Howell, MI In the MediaApril 19, 2012, Detroit News
March 18, 2012, Detroit News Online October 17, 2011, Farmington Patch Online September 14, 2011, Spinal Column Newsweekly September 9, 2011, West Bloomfield Patch Online August 24, 2011, Iosco County News-Herald August 23, 2011, TV20 Detroit Phone Interview from England August 23, 2011, WXYZ Detroit Skype Interview from England August 23, 2011, Farmington Patch Online August 22, 2011, Arthritis Foundation August 22, 2011, West Bloomfield Patch Online August 21, 2011, Dover, England New August 20, 2011, Detroit News Online June 29, 2011, Iosco County News-Herald March 25, 2011, Michigan State University Spartan Sagas March 23, 2011, Farmington Press March 21, 2011, ABC News Radio March 19, 2011, WXYZ Action News, Live interview March 13, 2011, Observer & Eccentric November 9, 2010, WDIV Detroit English Channel Follow-up Interview January 2010, WDIV Detroit English Channel Interview September 2009, Greater Lansing Woman Magazine, p.30-31 |
| Detroit to Dover - Experiences of an open water swimmer |
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