Based on her birth certificate and any other legal documents, Bridgeport High School graduate Laura Goodwin shows a birth date of 1977 and, not surprisingly, that it took place in a hospital. Goodwin, however, is not so sure.

 

“I think I was born an aquatic mammal,” said Goodwin with a laugh. “I love being in the water and love the competitive aspect of it too, but there is something about swimming that makes me feel happy; makes me feel at home.”

 

For anyone rolling their eyes, you should probably hear her story. And perhaps I should begin with something that would give anyone pause regardless of their thoughts.

 

Back on July 11, Laura Goodwin became one of just a couple of thousand people to ever swim the English Channel. You know that body of water that stretches between England and France and covers 21 miles? Yeah, she swam that.

 

We will get back to that. Before that, a lit bit into the personal history book of the young lady who was born and raised right here in Bridgeport.

 

Goodwin notes from a very early age she was in the water. The daughter of Jim and Susan Goodwin, who still live in the same family home just off Main Street, got an early start swimming began at age 6 on summer league swim teams and expanded.

 

Eventually, she was swimming year-round whether it was on the summer league teams, at the YMCA or getting into competition any way she could. And as one might expect, the 1995 Bridgeport High School graduate was also part of the storied Indians swim team program.

 

“I was there when the program started in 1993-94, when it wasn’t considered a (WVSSAC-sanctioned) sport,” said Goodwin. “We had to pay for our own coach. I think the problem was there weren’t enough teams across the state to meet the requirement to be a sport.”

 

The Tribe started their program regardless. Goodwin said there were roughly five teams in the local area and others they competed against throughout the state. She said during her senior year BHS brought home a state championship and she also managed to set a state record in the 200 free relay.

 

From there, she continued swimming in college. She saw at Washington and Lee in Virginia where she saw one of the few lapses in her competitive swim drive.

 

“I skipped my junior years to do an organic chemistry class,” said Goodwin, who was majoring in biology.

 

Still, Goodwin and her teammates found plenty of success at the Division III school. Every year she was there, the Trident won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship.

 

When she finished school, her love for swimming did not finish. Instead, it carried on even through this very moment where she lives just outside of Raleigh, NC, in the community of Cary.

 

“I actually coach swimming,” said Goodwin. “I coach some adults and club swimming.”

 

As much as she enjoys that, Goodwin had wanted for most of her life to swim the English Channel. In fact, she said it goes back to perhaps as early as nine years of age when she wanted to do it. Wanting to do that, and being able to do it, is something a trained athlete knows the difference between.

 

Goodwin set out to be able to do it.

 

“My first real lengthy swim was a 10K marathon swim, which was just three years ago, when is really the period when I started training for this. I did a 12-mile swim around Charleston, South Carolina and then did another 10K in Charlotte,” said Goodwin. “After that, I headed over to England and before than while there I did some crazy training.”

 

While the training she could control, COVID she could not. The swim was pushed back due to a year as she still got her body ready – including something very difficult.

 

“Cold acclimation is a big thing. It’s about 60 degrees in the Channel so to stay in the water that long means hypothermia is a concern,” said Goodwin. “For training purposes, you want two seasons worth of cold acclimation, but I got two and a half because of COVID.”

 

The serious training for the July swim of this year began in September of last year. Goodwin swam two hours daily in Cary in wave swimming pools and then spent weekends either lake or ocean swimming for longer intervals.

 

All of it done to get ready. And all of it knowing she may not even get the chance to fulfill her dream.

 

“This may sound odd, but the swimming is easy,” she said. “The logistical part is what is difficult from having enough money to hire a boat, to being able to book a boat, and the getting a (tide) slot for you that will work. To understand how difficult it is, if you want to book now you have to book a boat two years out.”

 

The good news? It all worked out, even though there are limited slots per day during only a few days that are available.

 

“Even when you have all of that, if the weather doesn’t cooperate you don’t go, and the weather in the Channel is notorious for turning bad,” said Goodwin. “At times it seemed more like a lottery than an athletic event.”

 

Even with all of that, Goodwin was booked. She had all the forms and paperwork completed. She had her boat and a pilot.

 

“At that point, the pilot calls and talks to you about the weather. My pilot called and said there was an early spot looking good for weather,” said Goodwin.

 

With an opening earlier than anticipated, Goodwin called two of her crew members who would assist to see if they could go early. One could, one could not.

 

“I ended up having to find someone and to hire crew, but he was fantastic and worked out well,” said Goodwin. “I had to go when the pilot felt like it was the time to go because you don’t want to be the person not able to swim because of the weather.”

 

After several months in England training, it happened. On July 10, she got the call.

 

“I didn’t know I was going the next day until 8 p.m. the night before,” said Goodwin.

 

Goodwin now was “a go.” The short time frame did not allow much time for worry, and then the day arrived, and she was in the water getting ready to go.

 

“My very last though as the horn blew from the boat, was ‘am I ready?’ Of course, I was,” she said. “You prepare for it for so long, but it went so fast when it was time to go.

 

“Once I got in, everything was golden based on previous experience,” she continued. “I felt great.”

 

Goodwin’s statement was not hyperbole. She completed the 21 miles in 10 hours, 44 minutes and – at the time – it was the fastest time of the year, although she said it has since been eclipsed more than once.

 

To swim that long and burn up so much energy, how in the world did Laura Goodwin replace it. With one of everyone’s favorites.

 

“Chocolate milk worked for me,” she said.

 

Even though there were not many breaks as the ocean pushes you in a direction you do not want to go when not moving, the crew would throw a bottle down, Goodwin would drink up, and then swim on. As for food, she avoided it.

 

“You can eat food, but it was way too much to mess with,” said Goodwin, the mother of a 14-year-old and a 10-year-old. “The chocolate milk gave me enough calories.”

 

Even better when she finished Goodwin said she “felt fantastic.” She was not even hungry but climbed out of the ocean wanting more chocolate milk.

 

While the training worked well for her, a few other things worked out too. One of which was critical.

 

“I got so lucky with the weather. I spent two weeks training getting the crap beat out of me by the ocean and on that the ocean was beautiful calm seas with hardly any wind,” she said. “I hit France and it felt amazing and then had a great three-hour ride back to England talking with my crew. I was surprised with how awesome I felt.”

 

The other thing that worked out was her crew and pilot. Goodwin said they made it possible.

 

“They call this a solo swim, but it’s not a solo venture,” said Goodwin, who praised along with her family her aunt and uncle Judith Limpert and Steve Sickman. “I so appreciate my crew and everyone that got me to Dover. It was a team effort.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo, courtesy of Bridgeport High School Journalism Department, shows Laura Goodwin cheering on her teammates while at BHS. In the second photo she boards her boat to get ready for the swim, while in the third photo the white cliffs of Dover can be seen as she starts her journey. In the fourth photo Goodwin gets energy from her favorite - chocolate milk, while she had company in the form of a ship in the fifth photo. In the bottom photo, she touches France to complete the swim. The final photos are all courtey of Katy Morris.