At 9:59, September 14, 2014, I jumped from the ferry, into the dark, scary waters of the San Francisco Bay, and completed my first swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco. Physically, I was prepared – that’s never been a problem. I went to swim practice 2-3 times a week, surfed my typical 2-3 hour sessions several times a week – I was ready. I had also mentally prepared myself to be surrounded by 800 other swimmers, lots of splashing and white water. At the time, I thought that would be the hardest part of my swim – I’ve always hated crowds – but stroke after stroke, I began to break away. And I noticed that the pack of thrashing swimmers was far to my right. I was in the middle of the bay. Alone.
Then came the doubt. It’s amazing what your brain does to keep you safe. Mine kept saying “You’re crazy – you shouldn’t have done this. At least go swim next to the other people so you’ll be safe.” 20 strokes later: “There’s some kayaks over there, swim over there, you don’t have to do this.” This lonely feeling – it was intense… and raw.
I know currents better than most people, after all, I surf. The ocean is my problem solver – it’s my solace. I knew what course I wanted to take, but I had to trick my brain into taking it. “40 stokes and you’ll see the fire boat and it will be closer.” And it was indeed, closer. I rewarded myself with a beautiful glimpse at the Golden Gate only few have seen from this vantage point. “40 more strokes and you’ll see the buoy and it will be closer” And, it was again, so I stopped and looked at the city and how amazing the skyline looked. “100 strokes long and lean and the buoy will be even closer, you can do this.” Suddenly, I found myself at the gate to aquatic park – people cheering and shouting. Remembering the advice of my coach, I didn’t stop until my hands touched the sand.
After the race, I high-fived my amazing team mates, who all finished with fantastic times. I’m so proud of all of them – I’m sure they had to concur their own fears just like I had. I have to say, this made 20 years of competitive swimming all worth it! 🙂