Alcatraz- I Escaped To AND From Her!

Setting the Scene: After a mad work week in the USA, my homeward route was always planned to include a transit through San Francisco. Such a great city. The food, the coastline, the harbour…and that rock!

What if I spent a day in SFO?

One call to OWS matriarch Jacquiline in Ireland. Do you know anyone in SFO that can help me swim Alcatraz? 24 hours later and I’m talking to the INCREDIBLE swimmer and special person Amy Gubser. The only person on earth to swim the treacherous span from SFO Goldengate  Bridge to The Farallon Islands! Google it! Infamously the home of some pretty special (and dangerous) animals.

‘I’ll pick you up from the Airport! It’s all planned. John will accompany us in his boat’, she said. It was like we had known each other from childhood. I was introduced to all her friends at the South End Rowing Club. Amazing. We were off!

I’ve wanted to swim this body of water for years. So much history. So much beauty.

Amy and I swam together. She had the tides and currents worked out to perfection. A really lovely swim in around 15 degrees. Not a cloud in site. What a great introduction to the Bay.

Nice to meet one of the cheeky locals out in the bay as well. The sea lions are notorious for teasing swimmers by tickling them on the feet with their whiskers as they swim. I got my tickle…a rite of passage I believe Cute!

I’ll be back!

Thank you Jacquiline, Amy and John.

How can you not be romantic about Ocean Swimming!