This past summer, Katie Spotz, 21, swam the length of the Allegheny River, raising money for charity and becoming the first person to complete this feat. An endurance athlete now living in Mentor, Ohio, the recent college graduate took time from her busy schedule to talk to WAB about her adventurous life.

WAB: What in the world made you decide to swim the Allegheny River?

Katie Spotz: I love adventures. I’d been reading about Martin Strel, who swam the Mississippi River and the Amazon River, and that planted the seed of swimming a river myself. I’d already done some biking and running adventures and wanted to find a new way to challenge myself.

WAB: Were you a big swimmer before this?

KS: I swam in high school and I also worked as a lifeguard. But before this trip, I hadn’t swum for a year. I do love swimming as well as any sport in which you can push yourself to that level it’s all about endurance for me.

WAB: What kind of training do you have to do for a swim like this?

KS: I didn’t train at all. One of the things I’ve learned through my other adventures is that as long as you’re generally fit, you can take on these challenges without a lot of training. The first seven to 10 days are difficult no matter how much you train—but your body adjusts quickly to what you have to do. I had done a 1,000-mile bike tour before the swim, but it really wasn’t training for this event.

WAB: Tell me about the swim itself.

KS: The river is 352 miles long, and it took about 20 miles at the beginning before the water was consistently deep enough to swim. I swam about 12 to 15 miles a day for 28 days. The Allegheny River is generally shallow, so at a lot of points I had to walk a couple hundred feet before I could swim again. What I couldn’t believe was that there weren’t a lot of people out on the water when I was swimming—it’s so beautiful and peaceful out there. I saw maybe 50 or so kayakers. But then again, my head was in the water, so maybe I just missed them.

WAB: Did you get a lot of support from people along the way?

KS: During the first three weeks, I really didn’t see that many people. But the last week, in Pittsburgh, I got invited to stay on people’s yachts, and they offerd me food and whatever I needed. I also raised $3,000 for Blue Planet Run Foundation, and some people donated along the way.

WAB: Tell me about the Foundation.

KS: The Blue Planet Run Foundation helps countries around the world gain access to clean drinking water. One in five people don’t have that, which I find mind-boggling. I try to get the word out when I’m doing these events. Just a $30 donation provides one person with clean drinking water for life.

WAB: In any endurance event, you must hit a wall at some point. How do you work through it?

KS: To be honest, when I hit a wall, it makes me more excited. It means that I’m reaching a new level that I’ve never experienced before. In day-to-day life, you don’t have to push yourself too hard, especially physically. I find that my body actually craves it. And I never think of hardship being permanent—if the water is bad or my body is sore, it’s a temporary thing. That kind of thinking eases my mind and helps me accept things instead of fighting them. I understand that these obstacles are just a part of it.

WAB: What’s next on your agenda?

KS: Ocean rowing. I’m going to row from West Africa to South America on a self-righting ocean rowboat. I’m currently in the process of finding sponsors and doing fundraising—you need a lot of specialized gear—like VHF radios, tracking devices and the boat itself—to do something like this. So far, about 300 people have rowed in the ocean using these boats, and they’ve made it through 50-foot waves and hurricances. Having the right equipment is really important.

WAB: Why ocean rowing?

KS: I was on a bus in Australia chatting to the man next to me, and he told me about his friend who rowed across the Atlantic Ocean twice. I started researching ocean rowing online, and decided that this should be my next adventure. It’s important to go at a certain time of year because of prevailing winds and currents, so I’m planning on crossing the ocean next December. I’m hoping to raise about $30,000 for the Blue Planet Run Foundation.

WAB: You must come from a long line of adventurers.

KS: No, not really. My family is not at all interested in any of this stuff. I don’t know where it came from.

WAB: Do you have a day job, or do these adventures take up all of your time?

KS: I just graduated from Warren Wilson College in North Carolina with a degree in business and economics, so I’m currently looking for a job. I find that really difficult.

For more information about Spotz’s Allegheny River adventure, visit www.swimforwater.com. To learn more about her upcoming ocean adventure, visit www.rowforwater.com.