Uncharted Waters
Corey Murphey, center, is a marathon swimmer.
This summer, Corey Murphey (MCompSci’24) became the fourth person in history to swim the double length (down and back) of Lake Tahoe. She completed the 42.6-mile swim in 20 hours and 54 minutes, breaking two marathon swim records. On land, Murphey works as a sixth-year computational modeling doctoral student, using aerosol modeling to research the sizes of particles emitted through speech.
What was it like swimming Lake Tahoe?
It was long — my longest swim ever. But Tahoe is just a gorgeous lake: crystal-clear waters and perfect weather. When I was swimming through the night, it was so clear I could look up and see the Milky Way. And the moon was so bright, I actually thought my crew was shining a spotlight on me. At one point, I told them to turn it off, which is a little amusing.
Why marathon swimming?
I was taking care of my grandfather when I started my PhD, and I just needed something to get out of the house. I signed up for a few local open water races. I started with 5Ks and 10Ks, then I tried 10 miles, then I swam across the Catalina Channel. I realized I liked open water, and I got better as I increased my distance. So I figured, why not keep incrementing?
Who are your strongest mentors?
My mom will always be at the top of that list. She’s an emergency physician and was a triathlete back in the 1980s. She did the Ironman while in residency, so that inspired me to do something physical during my PhD. My PhD advisor, Liz Bradley, is a big influence, too. Besides being a good academic mentor, she is also a 1988 Olympic rower. She allows me to have the work-life balance I need to be a productive and happy researcher.
Do you have any other big swims planned?
I’m swimming the North Channel (from northern Ireland to Scotland) in a few weeks [September 2026]. That’s been my bucket list swim even before I started swimming open water. From the pictures I’ve seen, there are really steep, green cliffs on both sides of the channel, and the water is really clear. It’s also known as one of the tougher swims that you can do, which also drew me to it. It has lion’s mane jellyfish and is about four to six degrees colder than the English Channel. There are significant challenges, but I’m hoping it’s rewarding.
[Editor’s Note: On Sept. 21, Murphey swam the length of the North Channel in nine hours and 11 minutes, making her the fastest female to complete the swim.]
Photos courtesy of Corey Murphey