This Virgin Island native has been playing on the Charles since moving to Boston in 2000 – usually on a windsurfer or sailboat or running alongside the river on the Esplanade. By his estimation he has, via windsurfing, been immersed in the Charles at least fifty times. His day job involves systems integration and network security.

Also not a Boston native, and thus not deterred by memories of the formerly dirty river water, Ulla came to Boston from Germany via California. After training in the Danube in Vienna, participating in the Alcatraz swim in San Francisco and swimming the Hudson River in New York City, the Charles River seemed like the logical next step. A swimmer, triathlete and chocolate lover in her spare time, she is an urban planner in her day job. Ulla currently swims with the MIT Masters team.