I was a buddy swimmer for my friend Kerianne on her Catalina swim.

I got in the water 3 times:

1. First around 4:30am. I was in between kayak rotations, and Kerianne was feeling nauseous, so we put some meds in a plastic baggy that I slipped into my cap and swam over to her with. I swam for an hour. It was dark, and I felt lots of seaweed or something in the water. When I got back in the boat, I told folks it felt like somebody took a kale salad kit and dumped it in the water in front of me.

2. Then, I got in at 10:30am for a second swim. If the timing was just right, I would have continued in to finish with her, but because of the Catalina rules where buddy swimmers can be in for a maximum of an hour at a time, I got back out.

3. Then a few minutes later, I did hop back in and watch her finish.

Other than my own Catalina swim, I’ve never gotten back in the channel! I have crewed about 4 other swims now, but never got in as a buddy swimmer. It’s a different kind of challenge because I was so focused on Kerianne’s swim, and not myself.