 Watch Greg's Video
On September 8, 2012 Sarasota resident and Florida Maverick Masters
swimmer Gregory S Rotole successfully accomplished his Golden Gate
Bridge 4 Mile Medley Swim to raise awareness about the Wounded Warrior
Project.
Sunrise began at 6:45 with air and water temperatures of 57 and
58 degrees respectively. But there was a 2 ½ foot chop on the water
with 6 foot swells which provided a pounding boat ride to the Golden
Gate.
Commencing at 7:00 AM, the butterfly leg was completed with a
pounding undulation in the predicted time of 41 minutes. And then, the
backstroke was accomplished in a similar time of 55 minutes with the
chop pounding over Greg's head. Both strokes were swam directly under
the center of the Bridge, which proved to be a deceptive affair when
Greg found himself going backwards 10 minutes into the breaststroke leg
almost slamming into the South Tower. After repositioning to be removed
from an eddy, Greg then continued with the breaststroke for 66 minutes
in severely eroding unpredicted conditions to the point he felt as if he
did not know how to swim and was going to drown.
After repositioning,
Greg finished the third leg of the IM doing the freestyle pull for 11
minutes, his legs exhausted from an inability to get a catch with his
feet due to the horrific currents, chop, and swells. The sturdy
breaststroke - the diesel engine of swimming - failed Greg in those
horrific conditions requiring a time two times longer than was
predicted. In contrast, it took 18 minutes to reach the South Tower in
the freestyle leg requiring only one-half the predicted time.
Indeed,
Greg found the Golden Gate Medley to be the hardest swim of his life,
certainly more difficult than the open water medley swims in Florida or
even the 12.5 miles around Key West. Had the swim been started an hour
earlier than the predicted time, the ebb and secondary currents around
the Towers would not have had as severe an impact, once again proving
the uncertainty about swimming under the Golden Gate, which is why Greg
said he would consider the swim a success if he accomplished a mile of
fly - the rest he didn't know about! Finally, a video of Greg's Swim
will be coming out in October for all of you to see?.
So, help
Greg raise awareness about the Wounded Warrior Project by making your
donation today. Send your check made payable to the Wounded Warrior
Project to:
Gregory S Rotole
PMB 182
15 Paradise Plaza
Sarasota, FL 34239
Further inquiries may be made directly to Greg at: 941-256-6903,
rotoleswimsgood@verizon.net
Your support will be greatly appreciated.
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