http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/10/a_long_cold_swi.html
One of the oldest swimming marathons in the US is the Boston Light swim. The swim is held every August. It starts at Boston Light on Brewster Island, and concludes at the L Street Bathhouse in South Boston, for a total of 8 miles in the open water.
In October, a woman named Karen Gaffney, who has Down's Syndrome and cannot use her left leg in the water, attempted to duplicate the Boston Light swim's course to show the world "what people like me can do".
Gaffney performed the swim with two other distance swimmers, as well as with boat escorts. Unfortunately, August and October are miles apart in terms of weather, and the wind gusts, icy waters, and chop were severe enough for the Coast Guard to join the flotilla. 1.5 miles in to the swim, they recommended that the swimmers be brought aboard for safety reasons.
The swimmers returned to the water once the harbor little more protection from the conditions, and swam the remaining 3.5 miles to shore. Quite an accomplishment!
One of the oldest swimming marathons in the US is the Boston Light swim. The swim is held every August. It starts at Boston Light on Brewster Island, and concludes at the L Street Bathhouse in South Boston, for a total of 8 miles in the open water.
In October, a woman named Karen Gaffney, who has Down's Syndrome and cannot use her left leg in the water, attempted to duplicate the Boston Light swim's course to show the world "what people like me can do".
Gaffney performed the swim with two other distance swimmers, as well as with boat escorts. Unfortunately, August and October are miles apart in terms of weather, and the wind gusts, icy waters, and chop were severe enough for the Coast Guard to join the flotilla. 1.5 miles in to the swim, they recommended that the swimmers be brought aboard for safety reasons.
The swimmers returned to the water once the harbor little more protection from the conditions, and swam the remaining 3.5 miles to shore. Quite an accomplishment!
