The crossing between the Northern California mainland and the Farallon Islands is legendary for its challenges:

• 47.8 kilometers in distance
• cold water
• cold weather
• large sharks
• difficult currents
• massive tidal flows
• large ocean swells
• dense fog
• stiff winds

As such, there have only been five successful solo crossings in history – until today.

56-year-old Amy Appelhans Gubser swam through the Red Triangle from underneath the Golden Gate Bridge to a finish buoy located just off the Southeast Farallon Island today in under 18 hours. According to the Marathon Swimmers Federation, she was assisted by John Chapman, Abby Fairman, Kirk McKinney, Ken Mignosa, Sarah Roberts, John Sims, and escort pilot Captain Chad Dahlberg while swimming through water that varied from 8.8°C (48°F) to 13.8°C (57°F) after starting in the dark at 3:25 am this morning.

While the water conditions were favorable enough to allow safe passage, there were also a pod of seals (i.e., shark food) that playfully joined the veteran Pediatric Intensive Care Unit neonatal nurse along the way.

There have been many attempts to swim the Farallon Islands since 1952, including the 1956 Farallon Islands Swim, but success has been achieved by only the very few.

• 1967: 41-year-old Lt Colonel Stewart Evans swam 32.9 km from Southeast Farallon Island to Bolinas in 13 hours 44 minutes.
• 1967: 39-year-old Ted Erikson swam 47.8 km from Southeast Farallon Island to the Golden Gate Bridge in 14 hours 38 minutes.
• 1969: Dolphin Club versus South End Rowing Club raced from the Farallon Islands to Aquatic Park. The Dolphin Club relay swam to the shores of Aquatic Park in 14 hours while the South End Rowing Club relay was forced to quit after 16 hours.
• 2011: Night Train Swimmers (Phil Cutti, Darrin Connolly, Dave Holscher, Vito Bialla, John Mathews and Kimberley Chambers) swam from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Southeast Farallon Island in 14 hours 45 minutes.
• 2011: Night Train Swimmers (Kimberley Chambers, Laura Vartain Horn, Cathy Delneo, Melissa King, Patti Bauernfeind and Lynn Kubasek) swam from the Golden Gate Bridge to Southeast Farallon Island in 16 hours 29 minutes.
• 2014: 34-year-old Craig Lenning swam 41.4 km from the Southeast Farallon Island to Muir Beach in 15 hours 47 minutes, escorted by Vito Bialla, David Holscher, Patrick Horn, Jamie Patrick, and Evan Morrison.
• 204: 45-year-old Joseph Locke swam 47.8 km from the Southeast Farallon Island to the Golden Gate Bridge in 13 hours 58 minutes with escort pilot Vito Bialla and observer Evan Morrison.
• 2015: Team Nadadores Locos (Amy Appelhans Gubser, Kirk McKinney, Les Mangold, John Sims, Jeff Everett, and Andrew McLaughlin) completed a two-way crossing between the Farallon Islands and the Golden Gate Bridge in 34 hours 54 minutes.
• 2015: 38-year-old Kimberley Chambers swam 47.8 km from the Southeast Farallon Island to the Golden Gate Bridge in 17 hours 12 minutes with escort pilot Vito Bialla and observer Simon Dominguez.
• 2024: 56-year-old Amy Appelhans Gubser swam 47.8 km from the Golden Gate Bridge to Southeast Farallon Island in 17 hours 56 minutes.

For more information on the Farallon Islands, visit Marathon Swimmers Federation LongswimsDB here.

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