Claire de Boer ’83, BS ’85, a lifelong swimming enthusiast, achieved two notable long-distance swims of Cayuga Lake. During her undergraduate years at Cornell University, when de Boer switched her major from Arts & Sciences to Human Ecology, she had to retake a statistics course in the summer of 1984. This extra summer in Ithaca gave her the opportunity to train for lake swimming.

In August 1984, de Boer swam the full 38-mile length of Cayuga Lake in 20 hours and 30 minutes, setting a solo record that still stands. More than four decades later, in mid-August 2025, de Boer joined a friend in a relay attempt to complete the same distance. Both women, in their 60s, successfully swam Cayuga’s length in a combined time of 19 hours and 32 minutes. De Boer later described the experience as dream-like and euphoric.

These feats highlight de Boer's enduring passion for swimming and her ability to accomplish challenging long-distance swims across different stages of her life.

Source: Cornell University

Source Type: College

Source Location: Ithaca

Ithaca, NY

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