Jonah2005bt
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* 7-year-old swims from Alcatraz to San Francisco
Monday, May 22, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO - A 7-year-old Arizona boy completed an estimated 1.4-mile (2.25-kilometer) swim
from Alcatraz Island, the site of the infamous former maximum security prison, to the city's
shoreline early Monday.
Braxton Bilbrey's coach and two other adults joined him in the chilly waters of San Francisco Bay.
He was greeted at the finish at Aquatic Park by reporters, photographers and well-wishers.
"I think it's pretty cool," Braxton said shortly after his father grabbed him under the arms and
lifted him out of the water.
When asked what he wanted to do next, Braxton said he hoped to swim the English Channel.
Stacey Bilbrey originally wasn't sold on the idea of her son swimming from Alcatraz, but she
accepted it once he proved he was dedicated to his goal.
"For a 7-year-old to be that motivated and stick with a goal that long is amazing," she said.
Alcatraz, once a notorious federal prison that housed some of the nation's infamous criminals,
including Chicago mobster Al Capone, is now a tourist site that attracts about 1 million visitors a
year. It also draws a fair share of swimmers who attempt the crossing as part of the annual Escape
from Alcatraz triathlon.
The second-grader from Glendale, Arizona, got the idea when he saw a magazine story about a
9-year-old boy who made the swim. Johnny Wilson, a fourth grader from Hillsborough completed the swim in
53-degree-Fahrenheit (11.6-degree-Celsius) waters last October.
Braxton, who has completed several short-scale youth triathlons, then asked his swim coach if he
could do it.
"If you were to ask me if a 7-year-old is old enough to do it, I'd say maybe one out of 10
million," coach Joe Zemaitis said. "But he's that one."
Monday, May 22, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO - A 7-year-old Arizona boy completed an estimated 1.4-mile (2.25-kilometer) swim
from Alcatraz Island, the site of the infamous former maximum security prison, to the city's
shoreline early Monday.
Braxton Bilbrey's coach and two other adults joined him in the chilly waters of San Francisco Bay.
He was greeted at the finish at Aquatic Park by reporters, photographers and well-wishers.
"I think it's pretty cool," Braxton said shortly after his father grabbed him under the arms and
lifted him out of the water.
When asked what he wanted to do next, Braxton said he hoped to swim the English Channel.
Stacey Bilbrey originally wasn't sold on the idea of her son swimming from Alcatraz, but she
accepted it once he proved he was dedicated to his goal.
"For a 7-year-old to be that motivated and stick with a goal that long is amazing," she said.
Alcatraz, once a notorious federal prison that housed some of the nation's infamous criminals,
including Chicago mobster Al Capone, is now a tourist site that attracts about 1 million visitors a
year. It also draws a fair share of swimmers who attempt the crossing as part of the annual Escape
from Alcatraz triathlon.
The second-grader from Glendale, Arizona, got the idea when he saw a magazine story about a
9-year-old boy who made the swim. Johnny Wilson, a fourth grader from Hillsborough completed the swim in
53-degree-Fahrenheit (11.6-degree-Celsius) waters last October.
Braxton, who has completed several short-scale youth triathlons, then asked his swim coach if he
could do it.
"If you were to ask me if a 7-year-old is old enough to do it, I'd say maybe one out of 10
million," coach Joe Zemaitis said. "But he's that one."
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