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This New England woman just swam the entire length of the Connecticut River

Kari Kastango pauses to wave to the crowd at the boardwalk in Ferry Landing State Park in Old Lyme, Ct., as she begins the final swim in her 410-mile journey to become the first person to swim the entire length of the Connecticut River.
Diana Chaplin
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Provided
Kari Kastango pauses to wave to the crowd at the boardwalk in Ferry Landing State Park in Old Lyme, Connecticut, as she begins the final swim in her 410-mile journey to become the first person to swim the entire length of the Connecticut River.

A woman from South Hadley, Massachusetts, just finished her four-year odyssey to become the first known person to swim the entire length of the Connecticut River.

Kari Kastango completed her feat Oct. 15 at the mouth of the 410-mile waterway in Old Lyme.

She spoke with Connecticut Public Radio’s Jeni Ahrens about what she learned about the river — and herself.

Jeni Ahrens: What gave you the idea and why did you do it?

Kari Kastango: The idea arose out of the fact that there were no immediate lakes or ponds where I had moved to in South Hadley. I was tired of doing flip turns in a pool and a friend had stated that they swim in the Connecticut River. I swam a lot at Elwell Recreational Park in Northampton, but I'm not one necessarily to swim in one spot, and then I just thought, well, this would be fun to do the entire river. In doing this, it was to develop a relationship with the river.

Ahrens: Was there always someone next to you?

Kastango: Yeah, there was always someone next to me for safety reasons. Either it was my wife, or a good friend in a canoe or kayak. And after one particularly exciting outing from Turners Falls to Sunderland, which is an 11-mile stretch and I did that in two hours and eight minutes with the help of a water release from a dam, my wife Alison said, 'I think we should get a boat.'

Ahrens: You are looking at the tides and you are looking at when water is being released; what kind of logistical planning went into each little chunk you were going to swim?

Kastango: The amount of time I spent planning logistics was about four times the amount of time it took me to swim. The Connecticut River’s boating guide was a key resource. This past year, all my swims were at least three-and-a half hours driving one way and I was doing this on the weekends.

Ahrens: So you saw the whole length of the Connecticut River. What was the worst thing you saw or experienced?

Kastango: The number of tires that I've seen tossed into the river throughout the entire length. I'd like to go back and try to retrieve them.

Ahrens: What was the best thing you experienced or saw?

Kastango: The wildlife; from a bald eagle eating a fresh catch on the left bank of the river just below Ryegate, I saw a little baby duck learning how to navigate river rapids with its siblings and parents. Blue herons have graced the majority of my swims and those now hold a near and dear place in my heart. I now know squirrels can swim. One crossed my path from Sunderland to Hatfield. I swam past a sturgeon and I was in awe the rest of the swim. There were loons when I was swimming on the third Connecticut Lake, which is gorgeous.

Ahrens: Is there anything else I haven't asked that you'd like to mention?

Kastango: This swim would not have been possible without the Connecticut River Conservancy … As well as the people who just recently participated in the Source to Sea Cleanup this past year. The other is that I didn't understand how my passion for swimming could make an impact. So what I encourage others to do is find out what you're passionate about and find a way to bring that into your communities. So that you can create a connection and a relationship to your communities and give back. And in giving, you will also be receiving.

Jennifer Ahrens is a producer for Morning Edition. She spent 20+ years producing TV shows for CNN and ESPN. She joined Connecticut Public Media because it lets her report on her two passions, nature and animals.
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