JULY 9, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015, 1:20 AM
BY DARREN COOPER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The Charlotte Samuels story isn’t close to being over, but the book is being written.
The Ridgewood senior is the youngest person to complete the triple crown of open water swimming, traversing the English Channel, Manhattan Island and the Catalina Channel off the Southern California coast.
The 17-year old now is working on a memoir of her experiences, titled “Guts,” and consulting with a literary agent.
“You have to have guts,” Samuels said. “You really have to put yourself out there to accomplish things.”
While Samuels is serious about her swimming and has a new challenge lined up, she also is serious about writing. “Guts” will not be ghostwritten.
This month, Samuels is attending a young women’s writing workshop at Smith College in Massachusetts. She is refining her book – and may use her swim across the English Channel as the frame for her other life experiences — and learning about poetry.
Back home, Samuels is a star whose exploits have made headlines all over New Jersey. She was honored at the New Jersey State House, spoke at halftime of a Ridgewood football game, and was grand marshal at the Ridgewood Fourth of July parade.