Cambridge Public Schools is proud and excited to share that Kennedy-Longfellow School Social Worker, Natalie Lang, recently achieved her dream of swimming the English Channel. Natalie completed the milestone swim on August 22, 2022.
“It was quite surreal having been working toward this goal for 3 years, it was hard to believe I had actually achieved it,” said Natalie. “I was able to run out of the water despite physical fatigue because there is a rush of sensations and sensory input and the emotions of relief and pride of having accomplished a long term goal- one that there was no guarantee I'd make until literally the moment…it’s the most amazing feeling.”
Natalie has been swimming competitively for several years and was inducted into the
Vermont Open Water Swimming Hall of Fame this year. She has completed multiple open water swims in Vermont, including the full 25 mile length of Lake Memphremagog, and last year she crossed the 20.1-mile Catalina Channel in California. Natalie signed up to swim the English Channel three years ago. Regarded as the “Everest” of swimming, the 20.5-mile body of water is between England and France. It is the world's most historically significant and iconic marathon swim. Natalie completed the swim in 12 hours and six minutes.
“My next goal is to be able to accomplish an ice mile,” said Natalie. “A full mile in water that is 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less without a wetsuit…I have been doing winter swimming without a wetsuit for a couple of years now to prepare for the English Channel, but they have been short distances. I've done ice swimming up by the Canadian Border and at the ice swimming festival in February in Vermont….I think an ice mile is the next natural challenge. I'd also like to do the Straits of Gibraltar, swimming from Spain to Morocco.”
Natalie has been with Cambridge Public Schools for eight years. She is a social worker at Kennedy-Longfellow Elementary School.