This was in another board and I thought the Golden moms and dads would enjoy it.
Dog Beats Most in Swim From Alcatraz
Monday, August 1, 2005
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jake, a 4-year-old golden retriever, swims from Alcatraz towards San
Francisco with Jeff Pokonosky, of San Diego, during the 10th Annual
South End Rowing Club Alcatraz Invitational on Saturday, July 30, 2005.
The canine was the first of his species to make the swim and did it in a
time of 41:45, 72nd out of 500 swimmers. (AP Photo/Mathew Sumner)
With a stomach full of scrambled eggs, Jake dog-paddled his way into
history, leaving most of the serious - and human - swimmers in his wake.
Organizers of the South End Rowing Club's 10th annual Alcatraz
Invitational - a 1.2 mile swim from the infamous prison island to the
San Francisco shoreline - say the 65-pound golden retriever is the first
canine known to have made the crossing.
He was the only dog among more than 500 swimmers who lept into the
chilly, choppy waters on Saturday, coming in 72nd overall. His time was
41 minutes and 45 seconds.
The crowd cheered as the 4-year-old pooch made his way onto solid
ground, shaking sprays of water and dodging a woman who tried to put a
medal around his neck.
"It was colder and rougher than we thought it would be," said Jeff
Pokonosky, Jake's owner and swim partner. "Jake amazed me. He was very
focused. He started out really fast. I was trying to slow him down. He
increased his pace to stay with the pack."
The pair live in San Diego and swim 4 miles a week and bodysurf
together, Pokonosky said. And Jake always eats scrambled eggs before a
big swim.
Bill Wygant, president of the South End Rowing Club, said he was more
than happy to allow a dog into the race, a first for the more than
100-year-old group.
"This swim is about personal challenge," Wygant said. "Whether you are
dog or human, it's whatever you can achieve that counts."
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