NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Marlynne Stutzman and Geoff Strange couldn’t be more different.
“He looks like he’s 80,” Stutzman joked.
But the pull of the water has brought them together.
WATCH NOW: New Port Richey woman with autism training for Alcatraz open water swim
Strange is a 71-year-old retired postal worker and Stutzman is a 27-year-old woman with autism and a Special Olympics athlete.
The duo met about five years ago at the New Port Richey Aquatic Center.
“She was a good swimmer here for a long time,” Strange said. “I talked her into going into something other than swimming. Triathlon. She’s a good runner, too. I saw her running, and she can be a triathlete. Now she has a fancy bike, and everyone knows her.”
“Superstar, I am,” Stutzman chimed in.
Now, they’re training together to complete a two-mile open water swim from Alcatraz on August 15.
“We’re all going to wear wetsuits and there is going to be someone following us,” Strange said.
“And make sure sharks don’t eat us,” Stutzman said. “The water is going to be cold and choppy and there is a current to go through.”
These extreme races are nothing new for her. She’s done everything from the Boston Marathon to the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. But Alcatraz is a completely different challenge.
“This is my very first challenging swim,” Stutzman said. “This shows how strong I am in swimming.”
“Probably the scariest one, too,” Strange said.
Stutzman is known to be a strong swimmer, earning the nickname “The Fish.”
“I’m the fish, so this is my brand,” she said. “This is ‘MarFish,’ representing autism and showing people how, with Down syndrome and autism, we can do anything and nothing is going to stop us.”
Stutzman is also a Special Olympics Florida Hall of Fame member and the first person with autism to complete a full Ironman and the Boston Marathon in the same year.
“One percent better every day gets you stronger,” she added. “Autism is my superpower.”
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