open water swimming 🩳
Growing up swimming, I've always been envious of this inherent
opportunity that both bikers and runners have — namely, that they're
free from the confines of a pool. Whether biking or running, they
can be a part of their environment and appreciate their
surroundings. To me, swimming was different. I loved how
introspective and contemplative it was for me, a place where I could
close my eyes and sink into the meditative rhythm of the water. But
this world of marathon races and gorgeous surroundings was the realm
of dryland, and perhaps of those precious few people who mastered
the water and therefore were qualified to brave the open waters.
That changed ever since I moved to San Francisco and started doing
open water swimming. The water in the San Francisco Bay is
definitely not the most pleasant, given that temperatures here reach
a maximum of 65F and therefore a wetsuit is basically required. But
I've been blessed by San Francisco in, if not the temperature of the
water, at least the plethora of beautiful things to look at while
I'm freezing to death. There's nothing like looking up out of the
water and seeing the arches of the famous Golden Gate Bridge looming
in front of you, and realizing that you're right there in the water
with it. In some strange sense, you feel like you're a part of the
bridge.
Of course, the Bay isn't just about stunning views — it's also
steeped in history and legendary swims, the most famous of which is
definitely the Escape from Alcatraz. Like many people, I thought
that it was impossible, or something that only the most dedicated
(and gifted) people could achieve. To my surprise, I found not only
that many people do it every year, but that multiple clubs host
Alcatraz crossings every month, and that they regularly welcome
newcomers who want to try it for the first time.
Suddenly, I realized that what I secretly wanted was totally
possible — I too could swim through breathtaking scenery in a race
that felt truly legendary and epic.
How could I say no?
So I donned my suit and began training, and that was the start of my
love for open water swimming. The most amazing part of this entire
experience is how I've unlocked this new yearning inside me, the
desire to find gorgeous landscapes and make them deeply rewarding
and meaningful by adding the epic challenge of an open water swim.
With Alcatraz under my belt, all I can think about is what's next.
This is my plan for the next few big races that I'll be doing:
✅ Alcatraz Invitational ↗, a 2 km swim across the San Francisco Bay from Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco shoreline. This, of course, is what the inmates from the prison on Alcatraz Island attempted (and we don't know if they succeeded!) June 12th, 1962.
🚧 Traversata Stretto Messina ↗, a 3.3 km swim across the Strait of Messina from the island of Sicily to the Italian mainland. This is the home of Scylla (six-headed monster) and Charybdis (giant whirlpool) in Greek mythology. It also happens to be cool because you can see on a global map the clear separation between the landmass you start on, and the landmass you end on.
Hellespont Swim ↗, a 4.5 km swim across the Hellespont (Dardanelles Strait) in Turkey. This strait is featured in countless myths (the site of Troy, the last part of the route of the legendary Heroic Journey of Jason and the Argonauts). It quite literally involves swimming across the continents, from Europe into Asia.
Guided Nyvoirienne ↗, a 7 km swim across the Petit Lac in Lake Geneva, from France to Switzerland. There's no mythology here that I am attached to, but it's Lake Geneva and it's gorgeous, so why not.
El Cruce (Cruce Completo) ↗, 10 km swim from Cancun on the Mexican mainland to the island of Isla Mujeres. Once again, no mythology attached here, but everyone's been to Cancun and knows how beautiful the water is. It would be awesome to just swim up to an island paradise, walk out of the water into a bar, order a drink, and then just lie down and relax.
Since I have no desire to become an extreme sports athlete, and at
this point I'll have achieved the equivalent of a marathon in
swimming, that's the end of my milestones for now. There are some
other swims that are piquing my attention, though, so if you're
interested please let me know:
Maui Channel Swim ↗, 15.9 km swim from the island of Lanai to Maui, Hawai'i. This is absolutely epic — after this you can say you've swam (with a team) from one island of Hawai'i to another. As this is a relay swim with a team of up to 6 people, I figure that since this is essentially 1.5 to 2 mi per person, this is doable for most people with OWS experience. Hit me up if you're interested and we can coordinate!