I grew up on Long Island Sound. I had my first swim in the Sound on Memorial Day, 1944, at the age of 8 months. I began competitive swimming at the age of 9. As a child/teenager, I was a former CT state 13-14 year old record holder in the 100 yd butterfly and 100 yd backstroke. As a teenager, I was a frequent finisher in many cross-harbor swims in the Bridgeport area, and a many-time women's winner of the Milford Cross Harbor swim and the Westport Cockene Island swim. As a resident of California in the 1980's, I was a member of the South End Rowing Club in San Francisco and frequent finisher in their San Francisco Bay Swims, including Alcatraz and the Golden Gate. I was also a finisher in the 5-mile Capitola-to-Santa Cruz Pier-to-Pier swim, and frequent finisher of the 1-mile Santa Cruz Wharf swim. I began Masters' pool competitive swimming at that time also, and since 1997, when Top Ten times began to be recorded, I have posted over 65 US National Top Ten times. I have competed in 2 FINA World Championships, at which I won 5th place in the 200 m backstroke and 8th in the 200 m fly in 1998; and 5th in the 100 fly, 8th in the 200 fly, and 10th in the 400 m individual medley in 2008. Since returning to CT in 1995, I have been a frequent finisher and age group placer in many CT open water swims, including the 1-mile Westport Point to Point and the Greenwich 2-mile Island Beach Swims. On August 2, 2008, I was one of the 12 solo swimmers in the 15.5-mile St. Vincent's Swim Across the Sound. Although the swim was stopped at the 3-hour mark due to a severe storm, my 2-hour cutoff coordiantes put me at about half way across, or about 7.5 miles into the swim. Finally, in 2007 and 2008, I was a finisher and age group winner in the Lake Quassapaug Sailing Center 3-mile, 1.5-mile, and 0.5-mile swims. I would like to do the Manhattan Island swim for 3 reasons: (1) I am always looking for a challenge beyond what I have ever done before, (2) It is a qualifying swim for other challenges, such as the Enlish Channel, Catalina Island, etc., swims, and (3) I like to raise money for good causes. Both of the NYC charities are good causes. I have always been a naturalist, so the NYC waterways environment is a good cause for me. And since I was fortunate to have grandparents with property right on the beach, where I learned to swim at a very young age, I also enjoy the privilege of supporting swim programs for kids not so fortunate as I was. I would also like my personal-charity half of my fund-raising to go to St Vincent's Swim Across the Sound cancer programs. If possible, I would like to apply the funds to a future SAS swim, but since I will miss the 2010 SAS to swim in the FINA World Championships on the same weekend, that may not be possible. I will have to talk to St. Vincent's about that. In the meantime, I am happy to be just swimming and contributing to good causes.