Laure Latham
Laure Latham is a 54-year-old Franco-British open water swimmer, ice swimmer, and an International Ice Swimming Association official from London whose nickname is Frog Mom. She is the President (and formerly the Honorary Secretary) of the Serpentine Swimming Club, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and co-founded the Pyrenees Ice Swimming Festival in Puigcerda (Spain).
She grew up in the South Pacific in New Caledonia, an island between Tahiti and Australia. When she was 13, my family moved to Thailand, and then at age 17, she started college in France. She is a tax attorney and after marrying, relocated to San Francisco from 2001 to 2012, and then has lived in London since 2012.
She is a published outdoors author, journalist, and award-winning nature blogger.
Contents
International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame interview
with International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame chairperson Ned Denison
Open Water Swimming Highlights
- In 2024, she participated in Cork Distance Week at Sandycove Island, Cork, Ireland.
- On 23 August 2023, she completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel in 19 hours 16 minutes.
- On 12 September 2023, she completed a 6-person English Channel relay in 17 hours 37 minutes with Nicola Sanderson, Simone Piccoli, Paul Daniels, Ramin Cyrus and Charlotte Hallward.
- On 28 July 2019, she completed a solo Windermere swim in 8 hours 20 minutes (unratified).
- In 2018, she participated in the Thames Marathon.
- In 2015, 2016 and 2017, she participated in the Dart 10K swim (wetsuit).
- In 2015, she completed the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim.
- In 2015, she completed the Défi de Monte Cristo.
- On 28 September 2014, she participated in a 6-person English Channel relay, finishing in 15 hours 45 minutes with Boris Mavra, Vanessa Impey, Robert Fischer, Stephanie Chapman-Heath, and Andrew Robins where she swam 3 times for an hour each. The relay was organized by Sakura and Nick Adams as a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders.
- In 2009, 2010 and 2011, she completed three crossings from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park in San Francisco (wetsuit).
- She participated in an English Channel relay in 2022 with the Serpentine Swimming Club.
- She participated in 17 hour 38 minute English Channel relay in September 2022 together with Team AreWeNearlyThereYet with Paul Daniels, Charlotte Hallward, Ramin Cyrus, Simone Piccoli, and Nicola Sanderson.
- In June 2014, she participated in an unsuccessful relay crossing of the English Channel.
- In August 2014, her relay canceled due to sea fog.
- Between 2015 and 2018, she participated in the Jubilee 10K relay, Dart 10K, Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim in Istanbul, Turkey, Défi de Monte Cristo in Marseilles, France, and winter swimming events– like the Big Chill Swim, SLSC Winter Swimming Championships, Puigcerda Ice Swimming Festival, and the Stockholm Vinterswim.
- On 23 August 2023, she completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel in 19 hours 16 minutes at the age of 51.
Ice Swimming
- On 5 February 2022, she won the Stockholm Winterswim Open 2022, 50m front crawl, age 50-54, water temp 1.9C.
- On 12-13 March 2016, she participated in the 450m freestyle at the first Pyrenees Ice Swimming Festival, a festival she co-founded with Jacques Tuset, Victor Galve, Mar Quera and Juan Hernando Fernandez in 4.70°C water and 0.00°C air temperature in 13 minutes 11.00 seconds.
- In January 2015, she participated in the Big Chill Swim, Windermere (200m freestyle).
Other Swims
- In 2009, she completed the crossing of Tenaya Lake in the Yosemite National Park (self-supported).
- Over the years, she has participated in various swims in the South of France (Sète, Port-la-Nouvelle, Fort de Brescou, Agde).
- She enjoys unusual swims, such as castle moats, and organised swims around Bishop’s Palace in Wells and Broughton Castle near London.
Nature Advocacy
Laure Latham is an environmentalist who advocates for Earth-friendly activities. In 2023, her English Channel solo was a fundraiser for The Nature Conservancy and she subsequently wrote about improving the sustainability of long distance swimming. She became a vegetarian in 2018 for environmental reasons and reported on 30 days of vegan meals by taking part in Veganuary.
In French / en Français
Laure Latham, née le 20 octobre 1971 à Nouméa (Nouvelle Calédonie), est une nageuse franco-britannique spécialiste de la nage en eau libre et en eaux glacées. Elle est secrétaire générale du Serpentine Swimming Club à Londres (Royaume-Uni), Fellow de la Société Royale de Géographie et co-fondatrice du Pyrenees Ice Swimming Festival avec Jacques Tuset. À ce jour, elle a réalisé :
Marathons eau libre de plus de 10 km
- 2023 : Traversée de la Manche à la nage en 19 heures et 16 minutes
- 2019 : Traversée du lac Windermere en 8 heures et 20 minutes
- 2018 : Thames Marathon (14 km)
- 2017: Dart 10K (combinaison)
- 2016: Dart 10K (combinaison)
- 2015: Dart 10K (combinaison)
Autres raids en eau libre
- Alcatraz (2009, 2010 et 2012), Défi de Monte Cristo, Bosphorus Cross Continental Swim.
- Natation en eaux glacées
- Stockholm Winterswim Open 2022, Big Chill Swim (Windermere), Pyrenees Ice Swimming Festival.
Engagement solidaire pour la nature
- Laure Latham est végétarienne (ni viande ni poisson) et s’engage régulièrement pour la protection de l’environnement et de la nature à travers ses traversées et écrits.
