Penny Palfrey, an Australian marathon swimmer, is going to attempt what has never been done — a swim from O‘ahu to Kaua‘i. “It’s never been done before: swimming from O‘ahu to Kaua‘i,” said Diane Ako, director of public relations for
Penny Palfrey, an Australian marathon swimmer, is going to attempt what has never been done — a swim from O‘ahu to Kaua‘i.
“It’s never been done before: swimming from O‘ahu to Kaua‘i,” said Diane Ako, director of public relations for the Waikiki Parc Hotel.
“It’s a 72-mile swim in the open ocean pitting man against the unimaginable — sharks, jellyfish, swells and tidal flows. People have tried, and failed,” she said.
Palfrey, a former Olympic hopeful, estimates the swim will take her between 30 and 40 hours.
She plans on entering the water at 11 a.m. today at Ka‘ena Point on O‘ahu’s northwestern-most point, aiming for Kaua‘i.
During the swim, she will be escorted by a safety boat with lifeguards to monitor her physical safety. Steve Munatones, her swim adviser, will also be on board.
Palfrey, who welcomes well-wishers on her arrival to Kaua‘i, is a nominee for this year’s World Open Swimming Woman of the Year, and for the 2010 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year.
She is a recent inductee to the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
Based on her estimates, her arrival on Kaua‘i would be around 5 p.m. today at the earliest. A 40-hour swim would have her touching around 2 a.m., Wednesday.
The National Weather Service forecasts south winds blowing at 10 knots with waves 2 feet or less and a northwest swell of 3 feet in the evening.
“Simply put, Penny is a living legend in our world,” Munatones said.
