WAIKIKI — Australian marathon swimmer Penny Palfrey is a third of her way to successfully finishing her swim goals, a news release states. She and her husband Chris swam the Alalakeiki Channel (Kaho‘olawe to Maui, seven miles) on Saturday, logging
WAIKIKI — Australian marathon swimmer Penny Palfrey is a third of her way to successfully finishing her swim goals, a news release states.
She and her husband Chris swam the Alalakeiki Channel (Kaho‘olawe to Maui, seven miles) on Saturday, logging times just over five hours each.
Penny, a former Olympic-hopeful and 48-year-old grandmother, plans to swim the Kaiwi Channel later this week.
Weather permitting, she may try the 26-mile solo swim from Moloka‘i to O‘ahu as soon as Wednesday.
Then on March 16, the pair hope to swim the 17-mile Kaluakahi Channel from Kaua‘i to Ni‘ihau.
“Starting from Ule Point on the northeast side of Kaho‘olawe, we were greeted by schools of pelagic fish next to a sheer 200 foot wall drop off, making for a spectacular start with a back drop of the massive rugged cliffs of Kaho‘olawe. Conditions were calm at the start, with surprisingly warm 25 Celsius degree water – ideal for swimming,” Chris Palfrey said of Saturday’s swim.
As with Penny’s last Hawaiian swim, Portuguese man-of-war were a problem, and the two said they were regularly stung throughout the swim.
“Despite relatively calm conditions, there was a very strong cross current which quickly carried us south, forcing us to battle uphill for the last half of the swim, with our pace slowing to a slow crawl. Finishing times were 5:07 for Penny and 5:09 for Chris. We finished on soft beautiful sand at Makena Beach, South Maui,” Chris said.
The couple were back in Waikiki Sunday, getting ready for their upcoming swims.
“If I am feeling good after this swim, with no injuries, shoulder soreness,
etceteras, I plan to swim the Kaluakahi Channel along with Chris,” said Penny.
Open water swimmers are escorted by a safety boat with lifeguards to monitor her physical safety, and her swim adviser Steve Munatones, the release states.
All swims will be completed without taking a rest break, so the swimmer has to swim through the night, only treading water to eat. Sharks, jellyfish, swells, and tidal flows are some of the hazards they encounter.
Aside from the enormity of Penny’s own swim goals, Munatones shed light on the uniqueness of a husband-wife duo.
“To have both a husband and a wife simultaneously perform marathon swimming at the level at which the Palfreys do is unprecedented. Usually one spouse does the swimming and the other does the supporting. To do marathon swimming at the same time has to be difficult — extremely difficult,” he said. “Their success can only be as a result of having a truly special, mutually respectful relationship and accommodating personalities.”
Penny was in Hawai‘i in November 2010 to try a historic swim from O‘ahu to Kaua‘i. Stinging Portuguese man ’o war aborted that attempt, the release states, but Penny leaves the door open for a third try at some point in the future.
