Dodging accidental kicks to the face while treading cold Bay water is just the beginning. Literally—it’s the starting line.
Four UCSF Fitness and Recreations staff members—Joey Convento, Da
nski Perez, Katelyn Pham, and Shawn Bonfield—braved the annual Alcatraz Sharkfest swim. The mile-and-a-half race kicks off in chaos, with hundreds of bobbing heads jostling for position. “You have to stay aware of your surroundings to avoid getting kicked in the face,” warns Perez.
Eight months before he would find himself at the start line of his inaugural open water swim, Convento started training at the Bakar Fitness Center’s rooftop pool. After work, he would do laps, swimming back and forth reaching 30 laps. As spring arrived, the team shifted their training to the Bay. Acclimating to the chilly waters was especially important for Perez who swam in the no-wet-suit category.
For Convento, the swim held a deep emotional significance—he dedicated his efforts to his late father. Serendipitously, the swim took place on Father’s Day, making Convento’s journey that much more significant. “Swimming in memory for my dad gave me the motivation to push through,” he says.
All participants agreed that the most challenging part of the course was near the Aquatic Park entrance. The current gained significant power and will to drag swimmers toward the Golden Gate Bridge. “This is the part that made me want to give up, and I began to panic a bit,” recalls Pham, who was swept off the course and was forced to swim up the current to make it back. Crossing the finish line at 46:58, she was still well under the 75-minute time cap for the event.
Convento at the finish line.
Perez, on the other hand, has done this race twice, the last time nine years ago. She has a background in competitive swimming, and most of her professional career was near the pool–lifeguarding and managing aquatics programs both here and at UC Berkeley. No stranger to open water swimming, she’s competed in the Golden Gate Bridge and the Trans Tahoe Relay. “Open-water swimming offers unique challenges that I enjoy. It was fun to take on the Alcatraz swim again nine years after the last time I swam it.”
There’s no doubt this event requires grit, determination, and mental and physical strength. For some, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime affair, but this group shouts a “resounding yes” they’ll do it again.
Another thing they agree on is that the best part about this experience is doing it together. “I wouldn't change a thing. Training and participating in Shark Fest with Bonfield, Perez and Pham, brought us closer together to achieve a common goal - completing the event and having fun doing it!” says Convento. “I wouldn't have signed up for this event if I didn't do it with my UCSF team,” confirms Pham.
