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Lengthwise Crossing of the Sea of Galilee, December 2013
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San Francisco, CACharter Member
Hi, Folks!
On December 21, 2013 (or earlier that week, depending on weather), I'll swim the length of the Sea of Galilee (21km/13mi), from Amnon Beach in the north to Tzemach Beach in the south. I'm swimming under EC rules and accompanied by a motorboat (no kayaks.) Looking forward to freshwater, hopefully reasonable temperatures, and good company crewing on the boat (family and friends.) I'm slow, so I expect this'll take me 8-9 hours.
I'm fundraising for Beth Dror, a shelter and refuge for LGBT youth in Israel (100% of donations go to them; swim expenses come out of my personal pocket). Your support and kindness appreciated, and if anyone finds him/herself in Israel at the time and wants to come aboard as observer, I'd appreciate that very much.
http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/crossingforyouth
On December 21, 2013 (or earlier that week, depending on weather), I'll swim the length of the Sea of Galilee (21km/13mi), from Amnon Beach in the north to Tzemach Beach in the south. I'm swimming under EC rules and accompanied by a motorboat (no kayaks.) Looking forward to freshwater, hopefully reasonable temperatures, and good company crewing on the boat (family and friends.) I'm slow, so I expect this'll take me 8-9 hours.
I'm fundraising for Beth Dror, a shelter and refuge for LGBT youth in Israel (100% of donations go to them; swim expenses come out of my personal pocket). Your support and kindness appreciated, and if anyone finds him/herself in Israel at the time and wants to come aboard as observer, I'd appreciate that very much.
http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/crossingforyouth
![[Deleted User]](https://w3.vanillicon.com/v2/38457411ab9e76637dae5191416e8d2c.svg)
Comments
http://www.marathonswimmers.org/upcoming-solo-swims/
(click "Look for more" for events more than a few weeks out)
Sorry about the unexpected conditions. I'm sure you have trained hard for this and to find your water unswimmable must be very disappointing. :-(
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
I wish you a smooth and efficient crossing.
I just talked to the pilot. We'll be leaving at approximately 5am Israel time. That's 3am on Sat Dover time, 7pm on Fri Alcatraz time.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
Molly Nance, Lincoln, Nebraska
WTG!
(*) (*) (*)
@Niek, we had some winds that skewed us a bit, and a bit of chop in the middle, but nothing too crazy. I was cold and almost gave up at Hour Six; my pace swimmer went in the water with me and buoyed my spirits. I'm very proud and happy and immensely grateful to my awesome crew.
Congratulations
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
You must be very proud of your achievement.
I loved your race report its inspirational.
Well done.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
You gotta love Google translate. Proof that we still need human interpreters/translators!
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
Nice article all around, and incredible swim!
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
I used to do work along those lines Russian-to-English and I don't know how many times senior leaders ranted about the future when they wouldn't need us and they'd just use computers. Then when some of that software came online we'd show them the difference between what the Russian really said and what the computer translated. Hell, humans aren't immune to this, e.g. the whole "bury you" vs. "outlive you" from Khrushchev.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
love it!
So, let's tip our hat to Bill: Credit where credit's due!
<blockquote>I would say that Hadar is the first to swim according to standard rules of marathon swimming. Which is equivalent, in the context of marathon swimming, to "the first."
Bill does not appear to be seeking recognition or "first person" status, but rather, the gratification of his own personal accomplishment. That is a perfectly fine reason to swim. So, I don't feel it's my place to judge what his swim was or wasn't -- he isn't asking for my judgment.
But I would say that Hadar did the first standard marathon swim across the Sea of Galilee.</blockquote>
Starting at 4am is an excellent idea.
You're probably starting at Amnon Beach (swimming to shore from the boat and climbing out to start your swim). Beware of the rocks as you descend into the water! And, keep a glowstick in your cap and/or swimsuit so the boat can see you coming in. The sun comes up earlier in the summer, but at least for the first hour and a half it'll be good for you to have it.
If you're thirsty, it's okay to take a gulp of the lake once in a while.
The fish that occasionally nibble your feet are very small and harmless.
Since it's summer in Israel, in the afternoon you'll be facing the infamous Easterly wind, the Sharqqiyeh, so the sooner you end the swim, the less wind you'll have to face and the less you'll swim overall. I swam in the winter, when it's at its quietest, and even my route is not razorsharp straight. And the guy who preceded me, Bill, swam two extra kms because of it.
Please keep us posted!
I haven't posted here in a while, but an update is overdue. My record has been shattered! The one and only Avishag Turek swam the same course in July in a little longer than six hours, and proceeded to also swim the English Channel. Kudos and a big applause to Avishag!