Swimmers make their way across San Francisco Bay in the 23rd annual Alcatraz Sharkfest open water swim. (Photos by Eric Voulgaris)
Kyle Voulgaris is one gutsy kid.
The 13-year-old Marymount School 8th grader braved the chilly, choppy water of San Francisco Bay and completed the “Alcatraz Sharkfest” swim, a 1.5-mile journey from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf.
Kyle Voulgaris runs up the beach after finishing the 1.5-mile Alcatraz Sharkfest swim. He placed ninth.
Kyle finished in 33 minutes, 55 seconds and placed ninth out of 686 swimmers in the wetsuit division and second in his age group.
Kyle started swimming the Sharkfest at age 10 to raise money for Team Hydro, a group dedicated to raising awareness and finding a cure for the life-threatening condition known as hydrocephalus, a buildup of water inside the skull that leads to swelling of the brain.
Kyle suffers from the condition as a result of a brain hemorrhage when he was 18 months old.
His father, Eric, said Kyle has raised more than $30,000 in the four years he’s done the Sharkfest swim. He ranks third on the list of fundraisers for Team Hydro.
Kyle, who plays water polo for the Santa Barbara Aquatics Club, plans on doing the upcoming Semana Nautica Sports Festival open water swims.
At Sharkfest, he had to deal with 58-degree water, choppy conditions and a strong current on the day of the swim, June 7.
This was the 23rd annual Alcatraz Sharkfest. The swim is based on the successful escape from Alcatraz Island prison by the Anglin Brothers and Frank Lee Morris on the night of June 12, 1962.
Kyle Voulgaris completed his fourth Sharkfest swim.
