At the age of 55, Amy Appelhans Gubser achieved an extraordinary feat.
On May 11, she swam for 17 hours through shark-infested waters off the Northern California coast, from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands, without a wetsuit.
This remarkable journey makes her the first swimmer to complete this specific route without a wetsuit, according to the Marathon Swimmers Foundation.
Amy’s journey was not only physically demanding but also mentally challenging. She described her experience swimming through the dense fog in the Pacific Ocean as being in a “sensory deprivation bubble.”
The fog limited her visibility to just 100 meters in any direction, and the water’s red tide obscured her view even further.
“For 17 hours, I had no idea where I was, what was going on,” she shared. “I went into a meditative state. There were some 30-minute time intervals that passed very quickly. Others seemed like they were 300 hours.”
Throughout her swim, Amy was not allowed to touch the support boat, though her team provided her with hot chocolate, chicken broth, and canned peaches to sustain her energy.
Despite the presence of sharks and suffering a few jellyfish stings, Amy remained calm and focused. “I really had to be very thoughtful and careful about how I approached this swim because of the sharks,” she explained.
The timing of her swim was crucial, as April to June marks a significant migration period for great white sharks away from the Farallon Islands.
Amy, a fetal cardiology nurse at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, rekindled her love for swimming just five years ago after a 24-year hiatus. She had swum competitively in college but hadn’t touched the water since then.
A friend’s challenge to swim in the chilly 52-degree waters of February without a wetsuit reignited her passion. “I thought it was the craziest thing I could possibly do. I cried, I had a panic attack… [but] within 15 minutes, my body got this warmth that you generate from moving. And every cell in my body became alive,” she recalled.
Choosing to swim without a wetsuit meant sacrificing warmth and buoyancy, as the water temperatures dipped as low as 46 degrees Fahrenheit. However, Amy adhered to the Marathon Swim Federation rules, which have remained unchanged for the past 150 years.
These rules permit only a swimsuit, cap, goggles, earplugs, and a nose clip. “When you wear a wetsuit your skin rubs against the material,” Amy added. “And the last thing that I really wanted was for my skin to bleed near a shark island.”
Amy’s family was incredibly relieved when she completed the swim, as she had been preparing and talking about it for five years. Her newfound fame came as a surprise, but she is grateful for the positive response and hopes her story inspires others.
“I hope this story inspires somebody to not be challenged by a number [like] their age or their weight. I mean, all of my body got me across that. That’s pretty impressive,” she said.
As we reflect on Amy’s achievement, let us remember that age, physical condition, or any other limitations should not deter us from pursuing our goals.
With God’s help, we can achieve the extraordinary. Amy’s story is a powerful reminder that when we trust in God and push beyond our perceived limits, we can accomplish incredible things.
In our own lives, we may not be swimming through shark-infested waters, but we all face challenges that require determination and faith.
Let Amy’s story inspire us to face our own obstacles with the same courage and trust in God.
As Amy said, “All of my body got me across that.” Similarly, all of our faith and effort, combined with God’s guidance, will lead us to triumph over our challenges.
WATCH: Grandmother’s 17-Hour Swim in Shark-Infested Waters Inspires Many
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