Margaret Rivard, 17, Youngest to Finish Open Water Triple Crown
American Margaret Rivard this week became the youngest swimmer to complete the Triple Crown of open water by successfully crossing the English Channel.
Rivard, a 16-year-old native of New Hampshire and high school junior, crossed the English Channel in 13 hours, 37 minutes on Wednesday. Per the Channel Swimming Association, that feat makes her the youngest to complete the Triple Crown of marathon swims.
Margaret Rivard is a CHANNEL SWIMMER – she has completed her swim in a time of 13hrs and 37mins (unratiifed).
Well done Margaret and team Rowena!https://t.co/q8WR4Dawwc…
Channel Swimming Association Ltd— Channel Swimming Association (@CSAswimmers) September 6, 2023
She completed the Catalina Channel crossing in August 2021 at age 14 and last summer did the 20 Bridges Manhattan circumnavigation. She’s the youngest to accomplish a number of swims, including the 10-mile course at the Kingdom Swim when she was just 10 years old.
“The English Channel was my greatest challenge yet,” Rivard told the Caledonian Record in her home state. “It was hard for both my mind and body. I started in the dark and had fog a lot of the way so I had no idea how much longer I had to swim for most of the time.
Rivard isn’t the first in her family to complete the Triple Crown: Older sister and training partner Vera Rivard, now 19, accomplished it as a 17-year-old. Vera Rivard is already a member of the Vermont Open Water Swimming Hall of Fame, inducted before her sophomore year at Kearsarge High in New Hampshire. (Vera crossed the English Channel at age 16 in 2020. She was likewise inducted to the Vermont Hall in what is regarded as the “First Family of the Northeast Kingdom” for open water, with their parents Kevin and Darcie (nee DeBlois).)
For Margaret, the Triple Crown is a goal she’s long had on her radar.
“I think it has been a goal since I heard about these events myself,” Rivard said. “I just always love swimming as far and as fast as I can. It makes me happy and helps me relax. I just want to see how far I can push myself.”
Thanks for the coverage Swimming World! ❤️