Swimming for 54 Hours Without Food, American Athlete Left Fanbase in Split: ‘Absolute Queen’

Some people push their limits in a way that inscribes their names in the annals of history. Most of these people consider going the extra mile not for fame or money, but for a cause that goes beyond materialism. In the world of swimming, an American marathon swimmer, Sarah Thomas, made waves with her world records. For her, every swim has a greater goal to meet.

Thomas has a multitude of freshwater and saltwater category records under her belt. But in 2019, she broke all standards to etch her name in a way that still resonates in the aquatic domain. Being a breast cancer survivor didn’t, she did not limit her routine to chemotherapy and mindful living. As the spectacle resurfaced, we can’t help but sing praises again.

Swimming icon garnered respect for achieving the impossible

Thomas, who started swimming at the age of 10, had initially competed in the 100m and 200m freestyle and related events. But in 2007, when she partook in an annual 10 km Horsetooth Open Water Swim, the chemistry instantly clicked. Fast forward to 2019, her four consecutive crossing of the English Channel smashed conventions to place her atop the world. MYSwimPro’s post from few weeks ago was capped off with, “Sarah Thomas survived the world’s longest swim!”. But that wasn’t all. Swimming about 81 miles for 54 hours and 10 minutes was nothing less than exceptional. But the most grueling part was she only survived on a liquid diet(90%). Without any breaks, swimming for more than two days had swollen her lips and throat. “But she had done it”.

Having uprooted the stubborn bug of breast cancer, Thomas dedicates all her feats to the cancer survivors. Having said so, her English Channel run wasn’t an exception either. Even her mother’s words, “I’ve been on a lot of her trips. This was by far the scariest”, was enough proof that her daughter had challenged the limit of human endurance. Her feat also left her fans in splits.

Fans join in to laud the queen, disregarding trolls

A violinist from India was blown by Thomas’s aquatic excellence and called her an “Absolute queen” after witnessing what she had achieved. Another fan shushed all the haters, saying, “It’s called being a f*****g Legend, maybe you should try”. Joining him, a fan left a comment reading “..this is an astonishing woman with more physical and mental endurance than any of these armchair critics”. 

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An Instagram user appeared with another praise note, which read, “that’s insane, not only the ability to swim so far but the mental strength of swimming over open water at night and in the cold water”. With more praises like, “This is what peak performance looks Like folks” and “What a superhuman”, global fans flooded the comment section. 

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