Amy Gubser, hopped in the San Francisco Bay and swam 29 miles to an island a couple of weeks ago. She’s 55 years old and admittedly over weight. And even though the water temp was 47 degrees, she didn’t wear a wet suit. She said she didn’t want to because the suits rub against your skin which could cause skin to bleed. And she didn’t want that because part of the route was a great white shark breeding area. Also, there was so much fog that she couldn’t see past hands in front of her.
With all of that working against her, Amy swam for 17 hours and did it, getting stung by jellyfish twice in the process. It’s possible she set a record. That aside, Amy said she just wants to be an inspiration to others by showing that you can maintain athletic excellence despite age and body weight.