By Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle (thanks to Bob P.)
The marathon swim from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands is considered one of the hardest in the world, combining strong currents, fierce wind and frigid water frequented by great white sharks.
But UCSF nurse Amy Appelhans Gubser conquered it this weekend — when she got off work, took a quick nap and then swam into history.
It was early Saturday, 3:25 a.m., when Gubser jumped from a boat on the east side of the Golden Gate Bridge, and went into her freestyle stroke headed west under the span and into the open water.
When she came back out, 17 hours later, Gubser was at the Farallon Islands, 29.7 miles away. She had become the first swimmer to complete the treacherous Gulf of the Farallones swim in the outbound direction, and just the sixth swimmer to do it in either direction, according to the Marathon Swimmers Federation.
The westbound swim is harder because it involves fighting a punishing tide and wind most of the way.
“It was the toughest thing that I have ever set out to do,” said Gubser, 55, on Tuesday during her lunch break at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital where she works as a nurse coordinator in the fetal cardiac unit. She is a mother of two, with two grandkids and a third on the way.
A Pacifica resident, Gubser swims at the South End Rowing Club on San Francisco Bay.
“I look out at those islands every day from Pacifica,” she said, of her motivation. “I joke with my husband all the time that I could swim there. It just draws me because it is so captivating and eerie.” (continued)