Boarding the 'Outrider' and getting ready for the Big Adventure!

Fin Whales and Spinner Dolphins on Nick and Sakura's Catalina Channel Swims!

Nick and Sakura visit the Cove

Nick Adams and Sakura Hingley went for a dip with us at the Cove this morning, in preparation for their Catalina Channel swims this weekend. Hot, sunny weather and flat, warm seas made for a fun vacation swim for them. The leopard sharks were out in great numbers, putting on a show for us just off of the Beach and Tennis Club.

Channel Swimmer in Training David Gatz is doing his laps at the Cove

David Gatz is preparing to do a two-man relay swim across the English Channel this August. David is a student at Ohio Wesleyan University and is working in La Jolla at the Scripps Research Institute for the next couple of months...an excellent opportunity to get some ocean training in before heading to Dover. His friend and teammate on the varsity swim team at OWU, Usman Javaid, will be the other member of the English Channel relay. These two young men have dedicated their swim to a very special cause. To find out more, go to: www.channelingpeace.org

"Jaws" Visits the Cove

Our finned friend is passing by the Cove on the way to the Children's Pool for a snack....a tasty seal kabob....

Ladies 10K Winners

me, 3rd place

Melinda Cook, 2nd place

Melissa Gorman, 1st place

10K Start

"Breakfast with the Champions"

Race Director Paul McCoy introduces Cole Classic winner James Cahill, me, open water champion Kate Brookes-Peterson, Olympian Melissa Gorman and Nerang Swimming Club coach John Papuni.

Start of the 1.5K (sprint) Race

Getting ready to swim the 3K race....

I'm prepping on the left and Olympian Melissa Gorman is smiling for the camera.

Me - mugging for the camera before the race

10K Start

That's me in the pink hat

(and purple swimming costume)

3K & 10K Swimmers

Me, ladies 10k 3rd place finisher
James Cahill, 10k 1st overall finisher
Kate Brookes-Peterson, 3k 1st overall finisher
Melissa Gorman, ladies 10k 1st place finisher

Me with my kayak escort, Sedric

Paul explains the race course

"Way over there ?!?"

Paul with one of the 10K relay teams

Race Director Paul McCoy

Kate Brookes-Peterson with John Papuni

James Cahill & Oliver Schafer

2007 Cook Strait Swimmer Hana Wolzak

New Friends from Australia and New Zealand !!!

It's Kava Time

Fiji Ocean Swim - October 2008

The Fiji 10K swim was an awesome event! Swimmers from New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Fiji gathered at the Plantation Island Resort for a weekend of swimming, racing and socializing. The 10K went off on Sunday, October 19th, the day after a little storm had passed over the island. The skies had cleared, but the seas had not yet settled, giving us some open water conditions to swim in. As we swam around Plantation Island, we started with the wind at our side giving uneven chop, then turning the corner into a following sea we could almost surf in, then on the lee side of the island we swam in flat, warm, shallow water and on the final turn headed straight into the wind. What fun it was in this tropical paradise with not a cloud in the sky and warm ocean temperatures!

This event was such an enjoyable experience for me I have decided to make my come-back and start racing again - at the age of 52!

To find out more about the Fiji Ocean Swims go to:
www.pacificswims.com