Ocean Beginnings For Abby O’Sullivan
You could feel her apprehension, but also sense her excitement and degree of confidence bubbling underneath. Little 8-year-old Abby O’Sullivan of the Mission Viejo Nadadores did her first ocean swim today at the annual Seal Beach Rough Water Swim in Seal Beach, California.
“I have swum in a lake before, but this is my first swim in the ocean. We are going to swim out there,” she pointed towards the buoy positioned 100 meters from shore.
Her coach Siga Rose has been introducing ocean swimming to young ones since she first started coaching herself as a teenager in Southern California. “I just want them to enjoy the experience. And the same with their parents. Then they will all come back.”
By the looks of Abby and her teammates warming up and getting ready for their first ocean swim, it appears that Coach Rose has been accomplishing her mission extraordinarily well.
Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming
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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