By Eve Oliphant
I have heard it said “No one really escapes from Alcatraz. Once you swim it, it stays in you forever.” I have found this to be true. I still find myself reflecting on the early morning gathering of swimmers at Aquatic Beach, the group walk to Pier 41, the suspenseful ferry ride to the “Big Rock”, and the feeling of jumping into the moving water and swimming with all my might across the San Francisco Bay.
After registering for this swim last June, I received this in an email:
Congratulations on your entry in the 28th Annual Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim, scheduled for Saturday, September 25, 2021. You will attempt the challenge which only one Alcatraz prisoner – John Paul Scott – successfully completed. Of course, Scott was discovered the morning after his escape on the rocks near Fort Point. He was taken to an Army hospital in the Presidio, where he was treated for shock and hypothermia before being returned to the island prison. Both the Anglin Brothers and Frank Lee Morris made it off the island, but were never seen again. Their fate remains unknown. Be prepared for the experience of a lifetime!
Two years ago, my friend Lindy asked me if I wanted to do an Alcatraz Swim with her. I was delighted to share this goal, not only because I love to swim, but also because I spent my childhood and young adult life visiting my grandparents in San Francisco, the city where I was born. We signed up for the Alcatraz Invitational Swim last year, but it was cancelled due to Covid. This year, we signed up for the Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim because it was on a date that worked for both of us.
At 6:30 am on Saturday, September 25, Lindy and I met while it was still dark behind the Maritime Museum to check in and pick up our yellow swim caps, a timing chip (which we strapped around our ankles) and get our hands marked with a race number. Mine was 464. After the pre-race announcements, we walked in our wetsuits down Fisherman’s Wharf with 579 other swimmers to board one of the two ferries that awaited us at Pier 41. Everyone’s excitement grew as we headed toward Alcatraz on a ferry with three decks. At one point, Lindy was looking nervous, so I took her to the top deck to take in the view and breathe in the fresh ocean air. Just before the island, we jumped off the boats two by two and swam out to the kayakers where the race was about to start. The water was 65 degrees, which felt warm compared to Big River (averaging 48-58 degrees) where we have been swimming since the Fort Bragg pools closed in March of 2020.
When all the swimmers were at the starting line, people started screaming with a burst of enthusiasm! We all joined in the cry just moments before our mouths would become silenced with our faces in the water turning only for air or a glance ahead. At 9:15, the second ferry horn blasted as we began our swim towards the distant shore. There were 153 more men than women participating, so I wasn’t the only female swimmer who felt bombarded by several burly men whose big arms would swing over and hit us at times. The choppy water made it hard for everyone to swim straight which is why we would run into each other. I even got wedged between two swimmers and did my best to wiggle free, so I kept swimming harder until I could keep more distance between us. The crowd was swimming to the right because of the incoming tide, but after a while, I started swimming straight toward the two towering Fontana buildings which stand behind Aquatic Park. I later recalled the course map saying not to aim directly for the entrance of the park, because the flood tide would sweep us past it. Nevertheless, it felt good to swim on my own and I felt strong enough to stay on course despite the tidal push.
The swim was enjoyable in the light foggy atmosphere. I felt empowered in the water taking in the energy of each moment breath by breath, stroke by stroke. Slowly but surely, the entrance to the cove at Aquatic Park appeared as I felt more swimmers surrounding me. As I was getting closer to the chute, a big man with bright orange sleeves started pawing at me, so I swam as fast as I could to get away from him. After he bumped into me several times, I stopped and gave him a look of “Why?” just before getting to shore. He was right behind me when I stood up and tried running, although I was having trouble finding my balance. After going through the chute, I found Mike, our son Paul and his wife Alice waiting for me on the beach and was so happy to see them! They didn’t hesitate to give me a big hug, even though they would get a bit wet. We were enthralled!
It took me 42:32 minutes to do this 1½ mile swim and Lindy did it in only 41:08 minutes. We were both surprised to place in our age groups for women! Lindy came in third for ages 45-49 and I came in second for ages 60-64 in the wetsuit division. There were 449 swimmers in wetsuits and 130 who swam in their skin. The average time was 43:34 minutes and most of the swimmers were a lot younger than me. Even though my age group wasn’t as big or as fast as the one in 2019, I was pleased that my time was still better than average -especially when our goal was just to enjoy the experience and complete the race. And that’s just what we did. 🙌