15 members of the girls water polo team swam from the infamous Alcatraz Island to Saint Francis Yacht Club on Sunday morning. The over 1.5-mile swim is known for its difficulty due to strong currents and frigid waters.
Though many swimmers choose to complete the swim as part of the annual Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, or join larger groups in scheduled events, the water polo team obtained a permit to complete the swim as a separate event. For safety, the swimmers were followed by three boats with pilots watching and directing the swimmers, and they obtained Coast Guard approval prior to the event.
The swim is inspired by the movie Escape from Alcatraz, which details the true story of three inmates of Alcatraz who attempted to flee the prison in 1962. No one knows if they successfully reached land in San Francisco, but every year, thousands of people test whether they could complete the swim to escape the island.
Biology teacher and girls water polo coach Lauren Lesyna supported the team through her experience as an open-water swimmer. “I think it’s really important when you get into cold water swimming that you have somebody that knows a little bit about it—how the water moves, what the tides are like, and what you should be thinking about in terms of hypothermia,” Lesyna said. Lesyna has completed several open water swims, including the English Channel and the length of Lake Tahoe.
The day of the event, the weather looked grim, with heavy fog and rough waters that threatened to force the team to cancel their swim. Luckily, the girls were able to jump from their boats at around 9:20 a.m. and begin the journey.
With the air temperature at around 45 degrees and the water temperature at 52 degrees, the team had to fight through the 40 to 50 minute swim. During the weeks leading up to the event, the team practiced together several times to prepare for the swim. They woke up early to swim at Aquatic Park to mimic the bay’s conditions, and many practiced in pools as well.
Senior Sabine Polly enjoyed the swim despite the challenges it brought. “It was freezing cold, mentally challenging, and at points the currents and the swells had me feeling a little bit nauseated, but also I feel very proud of myself,” she said.
“I think the most surprising thing is that as you’re swimming, there are points you look around and you don’t really see any land, and you’re just surrounded by water as far as you can tell,” sophomore Fiona McGaraghan said. “It definitely feels kind of isolating and a little bit scary, but it’s also super fun.”
The first out of the water were seniors Molly Gray, Caroline Connaghan, and Isabel Habibi*. They arrived to the loud sounds of friends and family, witty posters, warm towels, hot cocoa, and donuts.
“The best part easily was getting onto shore and seeing my whole team cheering and everyone so excited. We all just swam back from Alcatraz, and the signs were so cute, and everyone wants to take photos. It was a great feeling,” Polly said.
The rest of the team landed at the beach shortly thereafter, with most swimmers finishing in 40 to 56 minutes.
“The girls really did this on their own. A lot of them did sleepovers together the night before, and they just really rallied around each other,” Tracy Gray, M. Gray’s mother, said.
“I did feel very supported and grateful to be part of such a cool community that would be able to do something like this and to have such an amazing coach that would support us through all of this,” McGaraghan said.
*Isabel Habibi is a journalist for the M-A Chronicle.
