Many athletes love to race in competitive open water swims. Some swim to check off achievements on their bucket list.

Others swim for pure enjoyment and to challenge themselves physiologically and psychologically. Ke

That is Jessica Kieras, PhD (@lakebaggerjess).

The 2019 SCAR Swim Challenge winner completed a 122 km solo Max Out Swim down the Colorado River this last May. The swim took her 24 hours 2 minutes this.

Now the Bend, Oregon resident is going for another Max Out Swim in the Pacific Ocean. She will start on Monday morning in Cabrillo Beach and swim southeast along the Southern California coastline…for as long as she can.

She explains, “We don’t have a definitive finish spot identified yet. We will just kind of keep going until it seems like a good time to land and complete the swim.“

She is planning a long one with three escort pilots aboard the Bottom Scratcher (Kevin Bell, Helen Veideman, and Drew Aranda) and an all-female support team of escort kayakers Michelle Marquez, Angela Lee, and Michelle Rogalski, and observers Karina Garcia and Christine Weinmeister.

Follow her on her track.rs here, starting at 6:30 am PST.

UPDATE: “The captain had to call the swim. The wind was at 26 knots and forecasted to build to 30 knots on the first night. Local marine authorities even recommended large container ships put down a second anchor for the night due to the conditions.

The wind was spinning the boat and kayaks around. It was all OK during the daylight hours, but he was worried about not being able to see me and the waves as night fell.“

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