Triathletes Successfully Escape Alcatraz and Cross San Francisco Bay with Help from Water World Swim
Water World Swim Triathlon Coach Kathy Winkler Wins First Place in Age Group
SAN FRANCISCO—June 13, 2016—Water World Swim, the universal expert on open water swimming, congratulates all of the nearly 2,000 amateur and professional athletes who took part in the 36th Annual Escape from Alcatraz™ Triathlon. With water temperatures hovering around 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 degrees Celsius), participants battled the infamously choppy San Francisco Bay swim course through a swift 2.6 knot ebb current with winds gusting to 18 miles per hour.
The Escape from Alcatraz™ Triathlon is owned and produced by IMG Worldwide with race direction provided in part by Premier Event Management. With the most experienced coaching staff specialized in San Francisco Bay swimming, Water World Swim has assisted thousands of the Escape Alcatraz Tri athletes with Alcatraz crossing. In the three days leading up to the official race, many of the 2016 Escape athletes participated in swim clinics at the Rock to gain experience with the start, finish, water temperature and overall conditions in the Bay. Water World Swim head coach and co-founder Pedro Ordenes was also on site at the official expo the day before the race to offer last minute advice to hundreds of swimmers looking to make the ultimate escape.
“The water conditions during the 2016 Escape were extremely challenging, but those swimmers who put in the proper training time and followed our route to cross the river and get on shore had a successful day and quick exit out of the water,” said Coach Ordenes. “No day or swim in the Bay is ever the same, and it was inspiring to see some people who completed the crossing with us in the days before under calmer conditions still be able to apply their learnings under the intense stress and changing elements of race day.”
Water World Swim coach Kathy Winkler took first places in the 50-54 female age group, making it her twelfth finish at the top of the leaderboard at this race. A former member of the USA World Team, Winkler has stood on the Kona podium six times, winning first place twice, and four first place age group wins in the Ultraman World Championships – a monumental endurance feat that thrusts athletes into a punishing three-day, 320-mile total (515k) swim, bike, run race on the Big Island of Hawaii. She also won all three events on three consecutive days during the 2015 Galapagos Challenge: 70.3 Distance Triathlon; Marathon; and 2K Swim, respectively, which was sponsored by Water World Swim.
“As someone who swims in the Bay on a regular basis for years, the water conditions on Sunday still posed some unique challenges. There were times I couldn’t take a breath because the waves kept slamming me in the face!” said Coach Winkler. “But despite the colder than expected water temps and non-cooperative currents, it’s an incredible feeling to look at these iconic landmarks and say ‘I swam from Alcatraz and saw the most beautiful skyline in the world from a vantage point enjoyed by only a few.’”
Water World Swim is the universal expert on open water swimming and provides a safe, guided and fun environment for swimmers of all levels to uncover a lifelong and life-affirming love for the planet’s most exotic natural pools. From weekly swims in local waters to international expeditions, Water World Swim unites the world through swimming. For more information, please visit www.waterworldswim.com.
About Water World Swim
Water World Swim is the universal expert on open water swimming. With nearly 30 years’ experience tackling the biggest aquatic challenges on Earth, Water World Swim has helped unite the world through swimming by successfully guiding excursions across the San Francisco Bay, English Channel, the Strait of Magellan, the Bonifacio Channel and more. Lead by Head Coach Pedro Ordenes, who has completed more than than 900 Alcatraz crossings, Water World Swim provides a safe, guided, and fun environment for swimmers of all levels to uncover a lifelong and life-affirming love for the planet’s most exotic natural pools. For more information, please visit www.waterworldswim.com
Media Contact
Andrea Vuturo