Sometimes its OK to be out of your mind.

“We  thought you were out of your mind”.  This was one of my congratulatory greetings when I finished the 1st Annual GTC/Sea of Abaco Swim-a thon.   The course covered 2.5 miles from the Treasure Cay side of the Green Turtle Cay ferry dock to Pineapples bar and grill.  Initially a birthday race between my son and me this marathon turned into a hugely successful fund-raiser for a young patient of mine with a brain tumor.

Often the only thing that prevents us from accomplishment are the artificial restrictions that we consciously or subconsciously place upon ourselves.  The Sea of Abaco race could be considered challenging from several perspectives.  The distance of 2.5 miles would seem the first hurdle to mentally overcome.  Commercial crawfishermen routinely spend 10-12 hours in the water.  During these warm summer months the sharks seem to enjoy leisurely cruises down the Sea of Abaco.  The most dangerous animals are however Homo sapiens.  Auto pilots and alcohol are a perilous combination.  Keep in mind that we would have  swimmers spread out the length of the Sea of ‘Abaco during the race.  Needless to say, I had several weeks of sleep deprivation during the planning stages of this event.  Maybe I was out of my mind.  But if this 14 year old boy with a brain tumor could smile and laugh in the face of the daunting task ahead of him, we could certainly organize a safe but mildly insane event such as the 1st Annual GTC/Sea of Abaco Swim.

As the planning of the event progressed we would soon learn there was no way to anticipate the number of participants.  How many chase boats would we need?  How many dinners should Pineapples prepare for the event party/fundraiser.  How many swimmers would we have and how could we insure their safety.  Due to the length of the swim, I wanted a minimum of 10 chase boats to follow the swimmers and run down boats speeding through the course. We needed marker buoys, flourescent caps, a registration process to ensure none of the swimmers would be ignored as they floated out Whale Cay Pass. 

The morning of the event, the volunteers and I were apoplectic to be confronted by 61 swimmers waiting to register in an event that had never been conceived of, or attempted previously.  Ages ranged from 6 to 78.  To encourage participation, any means of crossing was allowed that did not involve sails or motors.  They were lined up with kayaks, paddle boards and surfboards.  The great majority however were swimmers in every size shape and form…big, small, skinny, fat with the common denominators of excitement and community spirit.

The course was marked with red buoys and 16 chase boats were lining the perimeters to pick up the drop outs and protect the swimmers.   All boats had water , sober captains,dive flags and radios turned to the event channel.  Swimmers were registered and assigned numbers with indelible magic markers.  After 50 registrants we ran out of orange swim caps.  At 11:00a.m. sharp the swimmers turned the barge landing area into a sea of competitive froth as they left for the shores of Green Turtle Cay some 2.5 miles away.

The chase boats were as busy as the swimmers.  They were on constant vigil for participants in distress and even more vigilant for boats cruising up and down the Sea of Abaco.  Several were incredulous as the were stopped and saw dozens of red  caps working their way to Pineapple’s shores like a school of wounded tuna’s.  Less than half the swimmers finished…but all tried their best.   My son won the event..as expected from a former collegiate distance swimmer, 17 year old Andrea from Nassau took second.  My water nemesis Willis was third (see my older blogs) and Andrew and I were close 4th and 5th.  Approximately 200 people showed their support at Pineapples, where one of the best parties evolved in years. 

A significant amount of money was raised for Taylor’s continued medical expenses and a community came together.  Distance swimmers were born that day.  Mark my word…over the next few years as we continue this event the 7 and 8 year olds who swam this first event will view the challenge as a normal thing to do on a hot August afternoon…and they will set a new standard in competitive distance swimming for which I hope Green Turtle Cay will become famous for.