Nearly 300 non-inmates, made the daring swim from Alcatraz Island back to the East Beach finish line at the Presidio in San Francisco on May 22.
Sophie Heyman, a senior at Saratoga High and Scotts Valley resident, was the fastest swimmer on the day with a time of 30 minutes and 33 seconds edging out all the other competitors in the field, including 12 who swam without wetsuits.
“I swim a lot,” Heyman said, “but never really got the chance to push myself in a distance swim like this one. I don’t think I am ready for the English Channel, but I am definitely a better distance swimmer than I thought.”
Two hundred seventy one swimmers, jumped off the back of the Alcatraz ferry, the Hornblower Spirit, southeast of Alcatraz Island, marking the beginning of the second annual, 1.5 mile, Alcatraz Challenge.
The 54 degree water was creeping back out of the Golden Gate Bridge at 4.9 knots (about 5 miles per hour),while kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and boats pulled security along the route.
Heyman bested Nick Hopman ,33, of San Francisco by 3 seconds for the win. The third place swimmer was 14-year-old Jake Rolo from Alma, Calif. with a time of 31:05.
“It was really exciting at first,” Heyman said. “Then toward the end, it got kinda scary. There was not as many people around me any more and the water was murky. I wasn’t worried about sharks but the thought was definitely there.”
Whatever was in the water, it pushed Heyman to victory. As a swimmer on the Saratoga High School swim team, Heyman qualified for the Central Coast Section meet but finished mid pack without any big wins, she said. She also works out with Slugs Aquatics.
