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Christie Ciraulo is a shining example of what it takes to be mighty and badass, both in and out of the water. Christie and her team, The Mighty Mermaids, were the first team with all members over 60 to conquer the impressive feat of swimming across the English Channel. She and I talk this week about her life as a competitive swimmer, how she trained for the English Channel swim, and the biggest challenges she faced while completing the swim. She also talks about why being part of The Mighty Mermaids makes her even more badass, and where they get their dedication and fearlessness from.    What You Will Hear in This Episode:  Christie grew up in Illinois and enjoyed hanging out at their local AquaCenter. She saw that her brother and his friends had fun swimming, and wasn’t one to left behind, so she made her own fun in the water.  Christie and five other amazing badass women make up The Mighty Mermaids, and they were more than game for the challenge when Christie approached them about putting a group together.  Besides the occasional holiday off, Christie swims almost every day, alternating between the pool and the ocean.  When swimming the English Channel, not only was it rocky enough to delay the original swim time, but it was cold! It took Christie almost 40 minutes after getting out of the water to stop shaking due to how frigid temperatures can get.  The Mighty Mermaids are all over 60, and prime examples that you can still be athletic and do badass things at any point in age.    Quotes:  “For me, the open water is so joyous.”  “It’s the conditions in the English Channel that make it such a challenge.”  “Once you are in the water, you are where you are supposed to be and all is right in the world.”  “You need to find something that you really love.”    Mentioned:  The Mighty Mermaids