Carly Miller
Ultra Marathon Swimmer and Coach
"Crossing Tahoe" teaser
Hello, Hi and Welcome!
I’m Carly Miller, a ultra marathon swimmer and coach based in Los Angeles, California.
I grew up on the East Coast, where I competed on local age group and high school swim teams. I moved to California in 2001 and eventually got back into swimming in 2015, shortly before beginning a new career path as a swim instructor and coach.
For the last decade, I have run my own private coaching business, Stotan Swim Coaching. I work with swimmers of all ages and abilities—whether they’re learning to swim, training for masters national meets, triathlons, open water races, or marathon swims.
From 2019 to 2024, I served as the Head Coach of both the JV and Varsity Girls’ Swim Teams at Notre Dame Academy High School. In September 2024, I joined Chapman University as an Assistant Coach for both the Men’s and Women’s Swim Programs. Since early 2025, I’ve served as the Head Coach for the Los Angeles Peninsula Swimmers (LAPS), a local masters swim team.
About Me
Breaking Limits: My Journey
What are the limits of your capabilities? Have you ever pushed yourself to the very edge of what’s possible? Or do you hold back, too afraid to even try? What’s stopping you from setting audacious goals and creating a plan to achieve them? I’ll tell you what’s stopping you—it’s that thing between your ears. Your mind. Your mind is the only thing standing between you and your craziest dreams.
Take it from me.
For years, I struggled with severe depression, anxiety, and addiction. After losing my mother in 2005, I spiraled into a dark place, spending nearly a decade withdrawn from life. I was clinically depressed, unable to sleep, and consumed by anxiety. I couldn’t hold a job, I was at least 60 pounds overweight, and I spent most of my time on the couch, barely functioning. I felt lost, trapped, and disconnected from everything—including myself.
In 2014, after marrying my best friend, I knew I had to make a change. I quit my psychiatric meds cold turkey and, after weeks of withdrawal, something incredible happened: I felt the urge to swim again. Swimming had always been my happy place growing up, but it had been 18 years since I’d set foot in a pool. That small spark reignited something in me, and it changed the course of my life.
In 2016, I joined a group of open water swimmers, and my world expanded. What started as a way to reconnect with myself soon became an obsession. I began taking on longer and more challenging swims, pushing myself in ways I hadn’t thought possible. Open water swimming became my therapy—it was where I rediscovered my strength and determination.
By 2019, I had completed the Catalina Channel, a 21-mile swim from Catalina Island to the California mainland, in 12 hours and 47 minutes. In 2021, I swam the full 27 miles across Santa Monica Bay from Point Dume to Palos Verdes, becoming one of only a handful to complete it. Those swims, as grueling as they were, showed me the power of resilience, mental toughness, and the importance of community.
Just a few years earlier, I was lost in depression, struggling to survive. My journey from the depths of despair to marathon swimmer proves that anything is possible when you set bold goals, surround yourself with supportive people, and believe in yourself. Whether it’s crossing oceans or overcoming your own inner battles, you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it.
Long Swims Database https://longswims.com/p/carly-miller/
Email & Coaching Inquiries: carlyswims@ballantinespr.com
Instagram @carlymillerswims
