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Ultraswimmer to attempt 24-hour Gulf Coast swim
“… stay absolutely present in the moment and not think about how much time I have left or where I am …”
Jessica Kieras will enter the Gulf of Mexico from Pass-a-Grille Beach on the morning of April 24 to swim for more than 24 hours. The Oregon-based ultraswimmer will head north along Florida’s Gulf Coast toward Honeymoon Island State Park, although her final destination will depend on how far she is able to travel during the swim.
Kieras said the open-ended nature of the effort (not having a destination, only a time limit) is intentional.
“I’ve done a number of other long-distance swims that have destinations,” she said. “What happens is the conditions get crazy. What was supposed to be a 24-hour swim becomes 36 hours.” Having no fixed destination helps Kieras maintain in case there are unexpected conditions like strong currents.
The swim is not all about Keiras, though, it’s a fundraiser for Save the Manatee Club, a nonprofit focused on protecting manatees and their aquatic habitat. Manatees are currently listed as threatened, and 41% of deaths are linked to human-related causes.
“I wanted to support a nonprofit that had a long history and a good track record,” Kieras said. “Their donation dollars are going directly to manatees. I picked this one because they have a four-star Charity Navigator rating and they are very open about what they are doing and their projects.”
The swim will follow Marathon Swimmers Federation rules, which prohibit swimmers from resting on a boat or using flotation devices. Kieras will be limited to a swimsuit, cap, goggles, ear plugs and a nose clip. But she will be accompanied by a six-person crew aboard Grace, a 2001 Dufour 30 Classic sailboat.
The challenge she’s undertaking is as much mental as it is physical, according to her. “One of my best strategies is to stay absolutely present in the moment and not think about how much time I have left or where I am,” she said. “Being content with what’s happening.”
She added that the experience can be isolating. “After the swim I just want to talk to people,” Kieras added.
Kieras also noted that eating after long swims can be difficult due to irritation from saltwater exposure, although she plans to drink a high carbohydrate energy mix throughout the swim.
If completed, the effort would be the first officially recorded swim exceeding 24 hours along Florida’s Gulf Coast, according to the Marathon Swimmers Federation’s Long Swims Database.
Save the Manatee Club’s work includes rescue and rehabilitation, habitat restoration, research, education and advocacy.
