Singer swam around the entirety of Vashon Island on Wednesday, roughly 32 miles. She is now the only person on record to have ever done so. A body-numbing feat that bewilders ordinary folk and endurance athletes alike.

Singer spoke to The News Tribune on Friday while recovering from her home on Vashon, where she lives with her husband. She’s been eating and sleeping a lot since Wednesday and said it’s an odd sensation to feel hungry all the time, no matter how much she eats.

In 2016, Singer and her husband had just moved to Vashon from Tacoma and rented a beachside home when they noticed open-water swimmers splashing in the Puget Sound in front of their house. “I looked out, and there were these people out there swimming,” Singer said. “And it was winter. I was like, ‘What the heck?’ They were having the best time, laughing and carrying on. I was like, ‘Why am I not doing that?’”

Singer, who had grown up on Vashon Island, learned to swim at the local pool and competed with the Vashon Aquatic Club. But she’d never swum in the Sound.

After some time off from the sport, witnessing open-water swimming at home inspired Singer to get back into it. She borrowed a wetsuit from a friend and officially swam in open water for the first time in 2019. “There are some really amazing open water swimmers in this area,” Singer told The News Tribune. “At Alki Beach in Seattle, and there’s a big community on Vashon.”