Failure Is Not Having The Courage To Try
The Night Train Swimmers started shortly after 6 am yesterday off the Farallones Islands 30 miles west of San Francisco Bay, but they abandoned the swim for medical reasons after nearly 8 hours fighting large swells and sub-50°F (10°C) water.Team captain Vito Bialla tweeted on the Night Train Swimmers website, “Swimmer matt davie severe hypothermia-so cold he couldn’t breathe. H20 -50, amazing swells, incredible team already planning attempt 2.”
He later wrote, “Seas ok 10 to 12 foot waves, but cold has little mercy. Failure is not necessarily not completing a mission. Failure is not having the courage to try in the first place.”
Phil Cutti (shown above), exercise physiologist at Stanford University and the first swimmer in the water, was interviewed by the Mercury News after the relay was halted. “I was shaking uncontrollably for 10 minutes when they pulled me out [of the cold water].” Phil reported that no Great White Sharks were sighted on the sunny day where the team started out in calm water that later turned into a rough-and-tumble struggle in the open ocean.
A video of the Night Train Swimmers‘ effort in the sub-50°F (10°C) water is here.
Nature won this round, but the match is not over.
Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
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