If you love the waters of the Virgin Islands, consider attending a free presentation by Jeff Miller on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. at the Gifft Hill School Upper Campus Atrium on St. John.
Miller knows the waters of St. John and the Sir Francis Drake Channel as no one else does. In 2016, he was the first person to swim around St. John (22.9 miles), and in 2023, he was the first person to swim down the Sir Francis Drake Channel from Virgin Gorda to St. John.
He did these swims for more than just the personal challenge; these events raised thousands of dollars for local charities.
Miller, a retired fisheries biologist, says he is more comfortable in the water than on land. He started swimming as an infant and began diving at age 14. Fifty years later, he’s swum thousands of miles in the sea and logged more than 7,900 dives. He holds three open water swimming “first” records.
Completing a marathon swim takes months of planning, training, research on nutrition and being comfortable swimming under all types of circumstances. For his round-St. John swim, Miller set off hours before dawn. What is it like to be in the water, battling waves 1.5 miles offshore in the dark? And what is it like for his dedicated support team?
Come hear Miller’s stories of the amazing marine life he’s encountered during swims, his challenges overcoming currents, and the joy of celebrating the finish.
This presentation is sponsored by the St. John Audubon Society.
