Alcatraz 2008 Departure

It's amazing the reaction you get from people when they find out you're going to do something that's a little bit outside the realm of normal activity.

I'm not skiing down a sheer cliff or base jumping, just going for a leisurely swim in the San Francisco Bay.

The comments have been pretty consistent.

Don't you know how cold it is?

Aren't you afraid of sharks?

Is there something wrong with your pool?

The answers: yes, yes and no.

These have been the more popular responses since word got out that I was going to join a group of swimmers from my nephew's swim club, for the 1.5 mile dog paddle from Alcatraz Island to Aquatic Park on May 1st.

The kids are doing it as part of a fund raiser for drowning prevention awareness.

I was doing it to chaperon my 10-yr old son Michael who wanted to try it.

He didn't finish the final qualifying swim and will watch this year from one of the chase boats.

I decided to push forward and will be accompanying a 12-yr old swimmer who I'll meet tomorrow.

It's not a race, but a chance to do something that 99% of the people on this planet will never attempt.

I was one of those people until this opportunity presented itself last year.

My childhood was immersed in year-round swimming from the time I was 8-yrs old until I graduated high school.

Of course, I wasn't swimming in 53 degree water, with swells and currents pushing you all over the place.

It's those glaring statistics that fuel questions about my reasons, and the same questions over and over again about my state of mind.

Aren't you scared?

NO!!!

Nervous, maybe.

But it's the kind of anticipation that fuels the competitive soul.

And no, this is not a stepping stone for some other bigger and badder stunt.

I want to see if I can do it.

Then, I'll try it again next year, hopefully with my son.