In the middle of planning our move abroad, Baba suddenly decided he wanted to attempt the 1.5 mile swim from Alcatraz. 😳

Baba has always been a decent swimmer, but open water swimming is a different animal. If you’ve been to San Francisco, you’ll know that the waters here are turbulent and freezing! But inspired by friends and never one to give up easily, Baba started his training on April 1st, just two months before our move.

He started swimming at China Beach and Aquatic Park in a wetsuit. We didn’t know this at the time, but he suffered from hypothermia after the first few swims – slurred speech, uncontrollable shivering, and drowsiness. It looked painful.

At this point, I suggested that maybe Alcatraz isn’t for him. But I should’ve known the man is stubborn. Baba went to the beach everyday, rain or shine, even if it’s to jump in the water for a few minutes. Not only that, but he decided to forgo the wetsuit entirely because it became too much of a hindrance. He also wanted the extra challenge. So the man is stubborn and crazy.

After almost 2 months of open water swimming, Baba took the plunge on Monday, May 22. Contrary to what many people think, he did not do the Escape from Alcatraz, which is popular triathlon. He worked with a company called Pacific Open Water Swim that organizes open water swims for individuals. They boated him out to Alcatraz and had a guide swim with him.

We took the boys out of school that day so they could witness Baba’s swim. There were a few swimmers out there that day, so we had to keep our eyes peeled for him and follow his swim route. About 45 minutes after he jumped from the boat, Baba emerged from the water in one piece! He was exhausted, shivering and dazed, but he survived!

We were all so ecstatic for Baba. He accomplished something he worked hard for and never gave up, even though the odds were against him. I guess you do have to be stubborn and crazy to achieve your goals. My only hope is that he doesn’t hatch any more crazy schemes from now until we move!