Page 166 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2026

Beyond the
Finish Line
Retired Navy Commander
Theresa Carpenter
story by Lynn Lofton
photos courtesy by Theresa Carpenter
Retired Navy Commander Theresa
Carpenter has taken off her uniform
but continues to serve and challenge
herself. The Columbus, Ohio, native and
resident of Ocean Springs credits South
Mississippi with giving her something
every transitioning service member
needs: a place to belong after military
service.
Carpenter competed in this year’s New
York City SEAL Swim, a 3.5-mile open-
water swim through New York Harbor
and the Hudson River. It brings together
Navy SEALs, veterans, first responders
and civilian supporters while raising
money for Beyond the Brotherhood, an
organization that helps former SEALs
transition into meaningful civilian
careers.
“The swim required me to confront
fear, physical discomfort and uncertainty
in a completely different way,” she says,
“For me, the attempt was never about
pretending to be a Navy SEAL or
proving that I was as tough as someone
else. It was about placing myself in an
environment where success was not
guaranteed.”
Carpenter didn’t complete the
qualifying swim in Sea Bright, New
Jersey, even though she had prepared.
“I had not prepared specifically enough
for the conditions I encountered,” she
explains. “I had trained in the pool
and completed several open-water
swims along the Gulf Coast. I was in
excellent physical condition and had
developed the endurance to swim more
than a mile continuously. However,
the colder water, stronger currents and
more aggressive waves in New Jersey
created a very different challenge. My
breathing became less controlled as I
tried to manage the waves and the water
temperature. Once that happened, my
technique began to break down.”
She plans to return and attempt to
qualify for the swim next year. “That
does not mean I am guaranteed success.
It means I am willing to apply what I
learned. I will continue developing my
swimming technique, spend more time
in difficult open-water conditions and
become better acclimated to colder
water,” she said.
With a naval career that spanned
more than 29 years, Carpenter says
her reasons for joining the Navy were
practical at first. “I was broke, needed
a reliable job, and wanted money for
college. I also wanted the opportunity
to travel and experience places beyond
Columbus.”
Through the Navy’s Seaman to
Admiral commissioning program, she
graduated cum laude from Worcester
State College in Massachusetts with a
bachelor’s degree in communications.
Currently, she is pursuing a master’s
degree in Public Leadership at the
University of San Francisco. After 10
years as an enlisted sailor, she earned
a commission and became an officer
working in public communications.
She served around the world and
became the Chief Public Affairs Officer
at NATO’s Allied Maritime Command
in England. Her final assignment
brought her to Gulfport and Naval
Construction Group Two.
In Ocean Springs, Carpenter founded
Operation Steady Ground, a veterans
book and conversation circle. She also
serves as a trustee at Ocean Springs
VFW Post 5699, hosts a podcast and
continues to write, speak about military
and veterans’ issues and challenge
herself physically through swimming,
strength training and other activities.
166 | September 2026 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living