Veronica Hibben

Mighty Mermaids at the 2014 Lake Travis Relay in Lake Travis, Texas that includes 60-year-old Nancy Steadman Martin, 60-year-old Christie Ciraulo, 56-year-old Jenny Cook, 57-year-old Tracy Grilli, 58-year-old Karen Einsidler, and 60-year-old Veronica Hibben

Veronica Hibben

Veronica Hibben

Veronica Hibben (born 14 June) is a 60-year-old American open water swimmer who was formerly a world-class pool swimmer and is currently a member of the Mighty Mermaids. She won the 2011 and 2012 SPMS Open Water Series held in Southern California and the experienced waterwoman who is part of the Oak Streeters swimming group and the OC Open Water Swims group in Laguna Beach, California, U.S.A. She is competing in the 2021 127.8 km Conquering the Beast circumnavigation swim in Flathead Lake, Montana.

Mighty Mermaids

• The Mighty Mermaids are a special team where age and competitiveness are their calling cards. The team consists of Christie Plank Ciraulo (55), Nancy Steadman Martin (54), Lisa Bennett (53), Jenny Cook (51), Karen Farnsworth Einsidler (53) and Tracy Grilli (52). When Christie turned 50, she dreamed to organize a group of fast women in their 50's to swim together on a major open water swimming relay. Christie was looking for something more than just pool swimming. She introduced herself to Tracy and Nancy and kept in touch for over a year before the Trans Tahoe Relay became a possibility. Jenny, Karen and Lisa were recruited and confirmed in short order. As Christie recalled, "Once our team was set, we were already picking out our team color, team suits and team nail polish.”
• They have finished fifth overall in the 2009 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (7 hours 33 minutes).
• They finished 24th overall and 2nd fastest female team at the 2008 Trans Tahoe Relay.
• They made names for themselves in numerous individual open water swimming and pool swimming competitions.
• They did a 9:19:44 crossing of the Catalina Channel in setting the record for an all-female over-50 relay team by over an hour and a half.
• They finished fourth overall in the 2014 Lake Travis Relay in Austin, Texas.
• They completed the 57.9 km END-WET swim from North Dakota to Minnesota on 16 June 2018 in 10 hours 32 minutes.
• She first coined the open water swimming phrase Masterfeedermixer in October 2009 with Patsee Ober.
• She is an age-group winner in the 3 km open water swimming race at the 2013 Pan American Masters Championships in Sarasota, Florida.
• Hibben was part of the world record setting As Seen On TV that set the 20.2-mile Catalina Channel - Fastest Mixed (3 man and 3 women) 50-59 Catalina-to-Mainland Relay record in 9 hours 38 minutes together with Barbara Held, Marc Horwitz, Ray Meltvedt, Julian Rusinek, and Lynn Kubasek on 1 July 2013.
• 2011 SPMS Open Water Series Winner - women's 55-59
• 2012 SPMS Open Water Series Winner - women's 55-59. The SPMS Open Water Series is a 10-race series for registered swimmers of Southern Pacific Masters Swimming in Southern California.

OC Open Water Swims

Hibben is part of the OC Open Water Swims Group of open water swimmers dedicated to publicizing open water swim practices and events in Orange County and surrounding areas. Interested swimmers can request an invitation to join via ocopenwaterswims@googlegroups.com. The group includes swimmers of various levels of speed and experience and a number of enthusiastic, passionate, knowledgeable ocean swimmers who train in Laguna Beach and elsewhere.

Members often participate in and report on open water swimming competitions, events and happenings around the world. They welcome other friends and open water swimmers to their training sessions where swimmers can swim traditionally (i.e., no wetsuits) or with wetsuits if the water is deemed too cold.

2012 Series Schedule

1. Seal Beach Rough Water Swim, 1 mile
2. Seal Beach Rough Water Swim, 3 miles
3. Semana Nautica, 6 miles
4. Balboa to Newport Pier-to-Pier, 2 miles
5. Nadadores Rough Water Swim at Salt Creek, 2.4 mile
6. OptimisSport Distance Swim Challenge, 1.2 mile swim
7. OptimisSport Distance Swim Challenge, 2.4 mile swim
8. Don Burns Corona del Mar Swim, 1 mile
9. Slam the Dam at Lake Mead, 1.2 mile loop
10. Slam the Dam at Lake Mead, 2.4 mile loop

2012 Series Winners

Female
19-24 years: Carri Cook
25-29 years: Lexie Kelly
30-34 years: Jessica Krick
35-39 years: Tanya MacLean
40-44 years: Vanessa Mesia
45-49 years: Melissa Latt
50-54 years: Lynn Kubasek
55-59 years: Veronica Hibben
60-64 years: Carol Hayden

Male
35-39 years: Craig Gutjahr
40-44 years: James Bergen
45-49 years: Bryan Buck
50-54 years: Bill Ireland
55-59 years: James Hardie
60-64 years: Hubie Kerns
75-79 years: Bill Cooke

External links

• Phil White In Search of Memphre under Fair and Foul Conditions
• Christie Ciraulo, A Mighty Mermaid In The Open Water And Pool
• Flathead Lake Open Water Virtual Triple Crown
• Southern California Open Water Swimming Stars
• SPMS Open Water Series
• Daily News of Open Water Swimming
• Southern Pacific Masters Open Water Series Champions
• Open Water Swimming.com
• OC Open Water Swims Google Group
• Open Water Swimming website
• Hammer The Need For Nutrition
• As Seen On TV, Another Record Falls In Catalina
• Marathon Swimming
• Mighty Mermaids, Pretty In Pink, Ready To Race
• AquaTex Take Travis In Texas
• Open Water Swimming
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• The California Open Water Swimming Oasis
• Sandra Frimerman-Bergquist Gets To End First