About Laurin

Laurin Outside 2

Age: 26

Nickname: SparkL

Training Sites: San Mateo Master Marlins, Aquatic Park San Francisco, Newport Beach-Huntington Beach-Seal Beach Coast

Occupation: Research Associate, iPierian

Favorite Quote: I never said it would be easy.  I only said it would be worth it.

Competitive Career:

I got into competitive swimming when I was five years old growing up in Southern California.  My dad took me to watch a swim team practice at our local sports club in Fountain Valley, and I was amazed at how easily and powerfully the swimmers moved through the water.  I decided that I wanted to be able to do that, to travel through water as though it was my natural environment.  I also decided that I wanted to be on a Wheaties Box by the time I turned 18, as I informed my coach when I showed up for my first practice.  While that didn’t exactly happen, by my eighth birthday I was completely hooked on the sport to the extent that a lumbar spine stress fracture, two shoulder surgeries, ankle ligament tears, and multiple bouts of tendonitis still haven’t stopped me.  Swimming is one of my two greatest passions, and I absolutely love it!

  • Events:  400 IM, 400 Free, 800 Free, 1500 Free
  • US Olympic Trials Qualifier:  400 IM
  • US National Championships:  Spring 2001 (Austin, TX), Summer 2001 (Clovis, CA)
  • College Team:  Harvard Womens Swimming and Diving

Diving Into Open Water:

newport finishAs a Huntington Beach local spending every summer running around the beach as a Jr. Lifeguard, it was only natural that I would discover the incredible rush of open water swimming.  At first, it was short ocean age group races of the annual Seal Beach Rough Water Swim.  At 13, I decided it was time to get into the longer races.  While I never quite matched the standards of my 70-year-old grandfather, Gary Weisenthal, who competed in the 10 mile nearly every year, the 3 mile race served as a launching point for my distance interests.  I won the event multiple times over the next few years, and started to seek other events to try.  Moving to Boston for college took me away from ocean swimming for a while, but upon graduating and moving back to California, I wanted to get back into the sport.  I discovered the Dolphin Club in San Francisco, an amazing group of individuals who all share the love of open water swimming.  I found myself surrounded by people Laurin and Momwho not only brave sub-60 degree water on a daily basis, but who have swum the English Channel…multiple times.  I have to admit, I have never in my life felt like such a wimp!  Inspired by these incredible people, I decided that I, too, want to tackle the Mount Everest of swimming.

Rock on!