Big Waves, Big Smiles By Bárbara Across Molokai
Courtesy of Bárbara Hernández Huerta, Molokai, Hawaii.
Bárbara Hernández Huerta became the first Chilean swimmer to swim across the 42 km Molokai Channel between the islands of Molokai and Oahu in Hawaii.
She writes, “[I was the] first Molokai Channel crossing for a Chilean and South American person in history.” She swam for a tough 15 hours 41 minutes. “I fought from start to finish. I love my team and what together we are able to accomplish. Captain Mike Twigg-Smith, Shelley Oates-Wilding, and his crew made us feel at home. I swam chasing the sun and then the moon that illuminated everything. This time, I didn’t have to imagine stars because there were thousands.“
She colorfully described her swim, “Accompanying me, the nactinoctylucas that shine in the sea made me swim in the sky. I touched a thousand fish and weird things. I chased my food every 30 minutes and two dolphins came to say, ‘Hold on. When more pain I felt, I fought [with my] arms and purpose. Every time I got focused, the sea sent me jellyfish to remind me – two Portuguese man o’ war made me feel pain. I persisted…it took almost 3.3 hours over the last 6 kilometers against a bad current.”
Copyright © 2008 – 2021 by World Open Water Swimming Association
