IN THE WATER: Two Alki regulars about to take on major marathon swims

(August 2024 photo by Stephanie Zimmerman)

That’s local marathon swimmer Chelsea Lee, in a photo we published last August, after she swam from Tacoma to West Seattle’s Lincoln Park. She’s one of two Alki open-water swimmers that Amanda Winans from the Northwest Open Water Swimming Association tells us is about to try major marathon swims, as the peak season for them begins:

Justin Davis are going to be attempting the Amy Hiland Swim (~10.4 mi), from Bremerton to the Alki Lighthouse, this Sunday (July 27), starting at 9 am, with an expected finish at around 12:45-1:30 pm. This is his first official marathon swim. You can track his swim here.

Chelsea Lee, who has completed the Amy Hiland Swim and Bert Thomas Swim (Tacoma to Lincoln Park), is attempting to swim across the Strait of Juan de Fuca (~10.4 mi), on August 1 or 2, depending on the weather. She’ll start at Beechey Head, BC [map], and swim to Tongue Point, WA. As it says on our site, this has been called one of the two “Toughest Swims in the World,” according to “Wind, Waves, and Sunburn, A Brief History of Marathon Swimming.” Currents and weather conditions, as well as very cold water, make this a difficult swim. Her tracker link will be the same as Justin’s.

With NOWSA’s help, we expect to have followups on how these swims go.

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