Greenwich 1 Mile Open Water Swim

I swam the Greenwich, Connecticut, one mile open water swim today, to raise funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Parky the Raccoon, official World Parkinson Congress mascot, cheered me on.

Here’s the story in pics…but before we get started, if you haven’t already done so, please click

here!

and donate to my Team Fox fundraising page!

Pre-dawn tableau: The alarm clock rings at 4:30 a.m. Waiting for me are Parky, my Speedos and goggles, a towel, and my first hits of Sinemet (carbidopa-levodopa) and Ropinerole, my main Parkinson’s meds.

On the beach. We check in at dawn, casting long shadows on the sand. I realize there’s some inter-species intermingling going on, foxy T-shirt and raccoon mascot. It’s all good!

Yellow caps. I’m in the third starting wave (there are four). My group wears yellow caps; everyone is over the age of 40. I’m 63, and there are many swimmers in their 70s. The oldest swimmer is 81.

Race course. If you think the mile-long course is shaped like a martini glass, you’re not alone.

Start. The yellow caps stand in the water, about to start.

Finish. We started as a mass of flailing bodies. Here I am emerging from the water some thirty minutes later, with just one other yellow cap beside me. Where are the rest? Who knows!