“Swimming at night, it was hard staying on course from Fairhope to Fort Morgan. I got off a couple of times, but when I saw the bottom of the bay on the other side, I knew I was close to shore. I kept the ripples at the same angle and swam in a straighter line.

Close to the shore, I thought, ‘Wow, I’m already done.’ It was a big ‘yay’ moment, then I had to figure out how to stand up.

Do you remember the feeling of taking off your roller skates at the skating rink and walking around again? That’s what it felt like to stand up and walk after swimming all night.

Swimming 21 miles from Fairhope to Fort Morgan wasn’t easy, but it was easier than I thought it would be. It took almost 16 hours, but focusing on half hours at a time made the swim go faster. I was surprised when I was at the halfway point. I could tell when the tide changed, and there was a headwind at the end.

Several times the crew pointed out the dolphins around me. They followed us for a long time, but I couldn’t see them. In the middle of the night I started thinking, ‘do dolphins sleep? And if they sleep, where do they go?’

When my dad was in the Navy, he told his crew that dolphins only follow happy ships. I thought I must be happy because they’re following me.

This was my longest swim, and my pace was about 51 strokes per minute. My dream to swim the English Channel is a little closer. I will keep training with distance swims in colder water and start towards booking a slot to swim the Channel. There are few slots available, so I have to book three years out. I also have to put a deposit down for a boat captain to go alongside me. Swimming the English Channel isn’t cheap. They say, ‘no cash, no splash.’

The water in the English Channel is cold, and there are rules—I can only wear a swimsuit, cap, and goggles. No wetsuit. Success depends on the conditions of the Channel: the tide, the water temperature, and the weather that day. I could get there and wait for weeks for favorable weather. The boat captain is in charge and can pull the swim for any reason.

I am 54 and will be at least 57 when I swim the Channel, but women much older have done this.

I am not a life-long swimmer; I walked on with my college dive team and started swimming in my mid-thirties. Just because you didn’t do something spectacularly or athletically as a kid doesn’t mean that you can’t start now. There are different expectations, floors and ceilings in what you can do, but you can still do it. Start small. Just get started.”

Sara

(Sara Wolf completed her swim on December 3)

Here is the link to part one of her story: https://oursouthernsouls.com/i-am-trying-to-swim-mobile-bay-as-part-of-training-and-qualifying-to-swim-the-english-channel/