The Swiss woman who brought river swimming to Boston

Renata von Tscharner brought river swimming from Bern to the United States. Over 25 years ago, she founded the Charles River Conservancy and spent almost two decades campaigning to ensure that people in Boston and Cambridge could swim in their river again. Whenever Renata von Tscharner visits Switzerland, there is one tradition she never misses: she goes for a swim in the Aare or the Rhine. For the 78-year-old, swimming in rivers is as much a part of home as the mountains or the local dialect.…