Jefferson Nurse Swims English Channel for Charity
(L to R) Jefferson nurse Kiersten Rosenberg, BSN, RN, Tori DeLollo, Lauren Schulman (their friend with MS) and Trista Felty celebrate after swimming the choppy, 21-mile crossing of the English Channel in a relay that lasted approximately 11 hours.
Jefferson’s Kiersten Rosenberg, RN, a staff nurse on the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, accomplished on June 29 what most people only read about in the news or see on television. A former Villanova swimmer, she and two friends conquered the choppy, 21-mile crossing of the English Channel in a relay that lasted approximately 11 hours.
A competitive swimmer who started in the sport at age 9, Kiersten decided, along with two former Villanova swimming teammates, to tackle the English Channel to honor their friend Lauren Schulman, who was diagnosed with MS in August 2007 at the age of 23. “I was a full-scholarship athlete at Villanova for swimming and that is how I met Lauren, Trista Felty, and Tori DeLollo,” said Kiersten. “We met as freshmen in 2002.”
“With Lauren being extremely involved with the National MS Society we thought anything that we could do to support her and the cause would be great. We also hope to spread awareness to those who are not knowledgeable about MS and how it affects so many individuals, both young and old.”
Swimming the English Channel certainly drew much attention to their cause. The friends were featured on KYW-TV, in the Philadelphia Daily News, and on Villanova University’s website. Since 1875, approximately 800 people have attempted the grueling swim. The success rate is 40 percent for solo attempts, and figures are higher for relay teams. In order to be considered an “official and recognized” swim, English Channel swimmers are not permitted to wear anything but a regular swim suit, goggles and cap. Often, they must withstand jellyfish stings and water temperatures hovering around 56 degrees.
“This swim was a way for us to motivate people to challenge themselves, as we are, to support other causes and get involved with their communities,” said Kiersten. “It is a true inspiration to us to see how our friend, Lauren, has dealt with being affected by this disease at such a young age. She has turned it into something positive and has become such a strong fighter for this cause.”
Completing the swim in one-hour intervals, Kiersten and her friends reached dry land on June 30 at 3 p.m. -- after setting off on June 29 at 4 a.m. -- and were exuberant that they had accomplished what they set out to achieve. For Kiersten, the entire experience was “the best, most exciting, emotional learning experience of my life thus far.”
“It was such an inspiration and motivation to have our friend Lauren on the boat. We could not have finished without her and our other friend Clare, who, despite having to deal with the sea sickness from 11+ hours of boat rocking, were so selfless and never had an ounce of negativity,” she added.
Kiersten recalled that during her 11-hour journey across the Channel, she and her teammates “had no doubts in our mind that we wouldn't make it across.” Out of the seven boats that went out that morning to attempt to cross the Channel, only two boats completed the challenge; the other five turned back before the half-way point. Reflecting on their huge accomplishment, Kiersten remarked, “We were the first female relay swim of 2009 to successfully cross the English Channel.”
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