In the San Francisco Bay lies an infamous prison: Alcatraz. Known for sheltering some of the world’s most dangerous criminals in the mid 20th century, Alcatraz gained a reputation for being inescapable. Or so we thought. Decades after its closure in 1963, people are still longing for an experience of a lifetime: a roughly two mile swim from Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco shore. One of those people was senior Claire Collins. She made her dream a reality when she braved the rough currents and waters over Labor Day weekend, officially becoming an Alcatraz escapee.
Swimming is hard. Let alone swimming for nearly two miles in the freezing cold San Francisco Bay, threatened by sharks, sea lions, and dolphins. Diving into a race like this requires tremendous amounts of physical and mental preparation. Only the bravest of athletes are going to be willing to push past their fears and give it their all to endure the unforgivable strength of the ocean. When training for the race, Claire was willing to do whatever it took. “I woke up at 6:00 every morning of August, and I would go swim at the YMCA,” she said, “On top of that, I also had cross country practice every day.”
Alongside Claire’s own worries, fears, and excitements are the ones of her family and friends. Not everyone would be thrilled at the idea of swimming in an area that prison guards once swore no one could escape from. John Henry Collins, a sophomore at NAHS and the younger brother of Claire, had no worries whatsoever about the challenge his sister was going to conquer. “I thought she was crazy at first– actually I still do–” he said, “but I knew she was safe from things like hypothermia because of the wetsuit she had to wear,” he said.
Surrounding an eerie prison, where ghost stories and famous inmates including Al Capone and “Machine Gun” Kelly have been tied to, is the breathtaking San Francisco area. Containing iconic bridges and scenic views, the area couldn’t have been more different from the haunted reputation Alcatraz holds on to. During the race, Claire couldn’t help but take everything in. “When I stopped in the middle, I turned around and saw the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, and just got a panorama of everything.”
At the end of the day, who can say they’ve escaped Alcatraz? Oh wait– Claire Collins can. Collins challenged and embarked on an unforgettable adventure, achieving a goal she had planned for the past 7 years. Few dare, and even fewer succeed. Claire Collins did both.
