The morning of Monday February 25th…the Crossing
After a week of waiting and continuing to prepare every day, the day for the swim was finally here. I woke up early after a restful sleep. I made myself…
Friday February 8th – Crewing for Robben Island swimmers
To better understanding what it takes to attempt the Robben Island crossing, I asked the pilot of the boat that will escort me, the owner of Big Bay Events, Derrick…
Fire on Lions Head and Signal Hill
As Jeanie and I walked back from Clifton towards Sea Point, we could see flames on Lions Head being whipped up by the wind. The smoke was thick and the…
Arrival in Cape Town, 3SOMS, The Pav and Getting my Feet Wet – January 1-9
January 1, 2019 Sunset over South Africa - Arriving in Cape TownJeanie and Lily on plane After an exhausting 24 hours of travel time (LA – Amsterdam – Cape Town),…
My Freedom Swim – March 2019
It’s been 40 years since I moved to the USA from South Africa. I am more American today than South African. But on a trip to visit family and friends…
Freedom
With the celebration of Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday on July 18th, 2018, my thoughts are drawn to the idea of personal FREEDOM. Mandela spend 27 years of his life as…
The Robben Island Crossing – What It Takes
According to the Cape Long Distance Swimming Association (CLDSA), the Robben Island crossing is held to the same rules and standards that govern English Channel attempts. This means that swimmers…
A view of Robben Island from Lions Head
Apartheid South Africa I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa in the 1970’s. My view of the world was skewed by the pariah status of apartheid South Africa among…
Freedom Swim – Robben Island
Growing up in Sea Point, a suburb of Cape Town, I would often look towards Robben Island and wondered what was going on there. Like Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay,…