Swimmer Inspires with Record-Setting Farallon Islands Swim

We kicked off Women's History Month this morning with renowned open water swimmer Amy Gubser. Amy inspired students with her swim stories, including her most recent swim to the Farallon Islands. The 55-year-old nurse and grandmother recently became the first person to swim from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands, a 17-hour, 30-mile swim through extremely cold, shark-inhabited waters.

The swim was 5 years in the making and required working with the U.S. Coast Guard, Vessel Traffic Control, and a support crew. The swim path was strategically planned considering the vast ocean currents, shark migrational paths, weather, and vessel traffic. During the swim as she neared the islands, she was swarmed by a large group of bats that flew along with her for part of the adventure, which she laughed was a sign that the entire idea for the swim was "batty" in the first place. Luckily, she did not encounter any sharks during the swim, although a playful seal decided to accompany her for a time. The water temperature during the swim at one point was as low as 43 degrees! She survived by years of training, taking in nutritional supplements every 30 minutes the entire trip, and the songs and support of her crew. 

Learn more about Amy's impressive record-setting swim in these articles:

"Fetal cardiology nurse completes historic swim" - UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital

"This Grandmother Swam 30 Miles Through Shark-Infested Waters to Set a Record" - Outside Magazine

Thank you, MTS 6th grade humanities teacher Tanja Gubser for sharing your famous sister-in-law with us!