Northern Michigan University 2015 BSN alumna and former Wildcat swimmer Jordan Iverson is likely to become the first Alaskan to complete the triple crown of open-water swimming. She crossed the English Channel on Tuesday—a swim that is still being certified—and previously completed the other two jewels in the crown: the 20 Bridges Swim in Manhattan; and the Catalina Channel in California.
“As of the end of last year, there were about 332 people in the world that had achieved this triple crown status,” Iverson said in a TV report by Alaska's News Source. “So to now be one of those people and to be the first person from Alaska is just amazing. … It's nice not staring at a black line all day and being able to swim and see things from a different viewpoint. There's just something about open water that I find very calming and peaceful, and being able to see everything under the water that so many people never get to see I just really love.”
Iverson has been swimming for more than 25 years. She lettered four years at Robert Service High School in Anchorage. At Northern, she first lettered in the 2011-12 season and competed in various freestyle, butterfly and medley events through her final season in 2014-15, according to her student-athlete bio.
Upon returning to Alaska, where she now works as an RN at Alaska Oncology and Hematology in Anchorage, Iverson dove into the open-water sport when she was introduced to the Change Your Latitude swim race in Sitka. She has competed every year since.
While she waits for her English Channel swim to be certified and officially achieve Triple Crown status, Iverson is going to take some time off and relax. She said she will always do the Sitka open swim, but has no plans for any future marathon swims.
View the full Alaska's News Source story here:
