Mt. Lebanon woman swims Potomac River
Courtesy of Judy Caves
Marathon swimmer Judy Caves recently completed the 20.5-mile DC Marathon Swim in 10 hours, 38 minutes and 36 seconds.
Photos: Courtesy of Judy Caves
Judy Caves swims in the Potomac River during the DC Marathon Swim in August as her husband Norman accompanies her in the kayak with the Washington Monument as a backdrop.
Courtesy of Judy Caves
Judy Caves looks out over the boat taking her to the start of the recent DC Marathon Swim.
Photos: Courtesy of Judy Caves
Those who participated in a charity swim on June 4 include (from left) Jess Monning, Judy Caves, Dave Watterson and Jennifer Petyk.
Courtesy of Judy Caves
At the completion of the DC Marathon Swim are (from left) Jim Loreto, race director; Chris Solarz, a New York City resident who was the only other individual swimmer in the race, Judy Caves, and Denis Crean, race director.
Judy Caves enjoys proving people wrong, especially those who say she can’t do something.
It’s that attitude that has pushed the Mt. Lebanon woman to various achievements over the years, many of which have been accomplished in open water.
Her latest came Aug. 31 when Caves traversed 20.5 miles in the Potomac River. She completed the DC Marathon Swim in 10 hours, 38 minutes and 36 seconds in 85-degree water.
The water is her happy place. It is a place where Caves has been quite comfortable for some time.
Caves, 62, was a distance swimmer as a student at Keystone Oaks High School and the anchor of the school’s 4 x 100-meter relay team that competed in the WPIAL championships. She then swam for the Bethany College men’s team since the school did not have a female team.
Now she is a member of the Mt. Lebanon Masters swim group, which is part of the Mt. Lebanon Aqua Club. It was there that the adventures in open water began to take shape.
“When I started doing that, I met other people who did these races and did triathlons and it became an evolving process in which I learned what was out there,” she said.
Her first open water swim was a two-mile jaunt in Moraine State Park’s Lake Arthur in 2010. She enjoyed it. She wondered if she could find one a bit longer.
She did and she continued to find events to take her further in the water.
Over the years, her swims have included four miles in the Chesapeake Bay, 12.5 miles in Charleston, S.C., 12.5 miles in Key West, 18.3 miles in the Three Rivers Marathon Swim in Pittsburgh (at least six miles in each river) and 28.5 miles around Manhattan. That swim didn’t take as long time wise as DC since a swimmer gets a push from the Atlantic Ocean.
“It’s very exhilarating,” Caves said. “A lot of times you say, why do I keep doing this, it’s painful. It’s the adrenaline, that endorphin high. I also do it just to see if I can. How much further can I go? That’s what has enticed me along the way.”
How does she feel upon conclusion of each aquatic journey, of course apart from fatigue?
“Disbelief,” Caves said. “I was never a standout athlete. I always worked harder than everybody. I was one of those bullheaded people. You tell me I can’t do it and I’ll show you I can do it. I like challenges. It’s very exhilarating to me to be able to finish something when in my mind I think I shouldn’t be able to do that.”
Caves, who recently retired from her job as a guidance counselor at Seton LaSalle High School, said her swimming efforts are examples that she was able to relay to the students that if you put the time into anything, it can be accomplished.
Caves actually was taken away from her happy place on the water somewhat for a bit. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she couldn’t get into a pool. So Caves, along with some friends, began swimming in the Monongahela River.
This led to the creation of a four-mile swim in the Monongahela each year on June 4 to raise money for charity. The two held thus far have raised funds for Light of Life Missions and the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank.
“You’re supposed to use your gifts and give back,” she said. “I guess my gift is swimming. Our goal was June 4, four swimmers, four miles and raise at least $4,000. Each year, we were able to surpass that. I just feel so blessed to be able to do this.”
Others who participated in the charity swims have included Dave Watterson, Jennifer Petyk, Jess Monning and Justin Dutta.
Caves is quick to credit many others for her accomplishments in the water. Those include her Masters teammates and people who have been her support system in many ways like Paula Nettleship, Tara D’Agaro Mark Frederickson, Kristin Matheny and Watterson.
“You think of open water swimming, you’re out there by yourself, but it takes a team to put it together,” Caves said. “The people you train with are very important.”
There’s also her husband Norman, who accompanies her in each race with a kayak. That’s an important role as that is the person who supplies the swimmer with the nourishment needed during a swim.
“He’s my rock,” Caves said. “He’s my best friend and biggest supporter. He just quietly does what’s needed.”
As of now, Caves does not have plans for another marathon swim.
“This was a big one as was last year (Three Rivers Swim), so I keep thinking maybe that’s it for me,” she said. “I’m still kind of relishing this. I feel like I’m hitting my limit, but I don’t know yet. I’m not sure what I’m going to do next.”