“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again... who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” -Teddy Roosevelt

I dared. I failed. My team was brilliant and they know why.

I’ve attempted to swim the English Channel and I was unsuccessful. Hypothermia set in, I swam too far away from the boat, I ingested a lot of sea water and my stomach launched a nuclear attack on my insides that was unfortunately witnessed by some.

I’ve yet to reconcile my experience. I’ve yet to find grace with myself. But, I’d like to say THANK YOU to the amazing people that cheered, supported, and helped me through this very public part of my journey.

You encouragers, you believers, both broken and hardy, young and old, follow your dreams. Follow your dreams and enjoy every day. Our limited time is valuable whether we win or lose

Based on current tide and predicted weather conditions, it looks likely that we’ll start the English Channel attempt at 3:30 AM on Saturday GMT. Follow the Louise Jane Charters Facebook page and possibly the Channel Swimming Association page for live trackers. I am turning over my IG and Facebook to @karimia5152 and @tm5150 now for further updates. 🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️ @teamfoxmjff Let’s swim to beat Parkinson’s!

We are so incredibly proud of our son for commissioning into the US Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant and for earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Economics.

Four years ago, when he was still 17, during the pandemic, we dropped him off at the airport. Like other college freshmen during Covid, he missed parent’s weekend, Thanksgiving, spring break, and was “quarantined” in a hotel with other athletes. Sadly, during his first year, his Gramma Smith and aunt died, and his mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

But, he exemplified his class motto, “United We Endure.” He endured, with help, and the pomp and circumstance of this week’s parade, patching, and commencement ceremonies, filled a space in our hearts that we didn’t know was empty.

Some of the most memorable parts of this week are the moment in the parade when the senior class separates from the rest of the wing symbolically separating from the academy and the families, General Clark’s inspirational speech about living “all out” at commissioning, and the cadets marching into the stadium accompanied by the Air Force band.

When Sam’s grandfather came to the US, he was a steward at the Naval Academy, cleaning and serving the midshipmen. Today, he witnessed his grandson salute the vice president and begin his service to this country as an officer.

We are grateful for what led to this moment, although there were many obstacles, we are grateful for the water polo families that stood by us, and we are excited for what the future holds.