San Francisco Swimmer Tries To Become First Woman To Swim From Farallon Islands To Golden Gate Bridge
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS/KPIX/AP) -- A swimmer from San Francisco was on her way Saturday to become the first woman to swim from the Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge.
LIVE TRACKER: KIM CHAMBERS FARALLONES TO GG BRIDGE SWIM
Before she got into the water around 11:15 p.m. Friday night, Kim Chambers told KPIX 5 that she was mentally and physically prepared to face off with the Pacific Ocean.
"There's nothing more gratifying than pushing yourself and discovering really what you're made of and what you can do with your body and your mind if you let it," Chambers said. "This swim is scary, but it's also so exciting."
The 38-year-old Chambers is trying to conquer a 30-mile stretch of water notorious for its shark population.
The swim was expected to take between 13 and 18 hours, depending on the conditions.
Chambers is being tracked in the water and followed by a boat carrying her mother and about 16 crew members who are watching for dangers. There is also an observer on board who is making sure she is not getting a free ride.
This is not Chambers' first long-distance, open-ocean swim. Last year, she completed the Oceans 7 Challenge, the seven toughest swims in the world, including an English Channel crossing.
Last week, Chambers' friend Simon Dominguez was forced to stop his attempt to become the first person to finish a swim from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallones after a shark was spotted nearby.
Dominguez is a support crew member for this swim and told KCBS Radio that he has no doubt that Chambers will be able to complete the swim.
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