Courtesy of Jim Alabiso at the Hyatt Regency along St Johns River on the Jacksonville Riverfront in Florida.
Standing along the Jacksonville Riverfront and looking at the Main Street Bridge, the signature landmark of Jacksonville is impressive. The soft blue-colored bridge is a vital lifeline of the municipality.
Blue by day and glowing by night, the Main Street Bridge connects the north and south banks in the heart of downtown Jacksonville. “It is safer to swim along or under this bridge than it is to drive across it, run on it, walk across it or to ride your bike along it,” explains Jim Alabiso who is developing a whole lotta local and regional interest in swimming underneath the bridges of St Johns River like with the Up the River Downtown Swim.
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.