Matt Finster participated in the fifth annual Brent Rice Memorial Swim of the Sound, 9am on Saturday, Aug. 14th in Des Moines, WA.
"Thank
you so much for your support and donation!
Overall the swim went really well, for me at least. Below is an account of the swim:
On a sunny Saturday Morning, myself and 40 other swimmers donned our wetsuits and caps and waded into the 52 degree water and began the 2.3 mile swim to Point Robinson from Des Moines. In addition to the volunteer kayakers and boaters, the swim was run by Des Moines Fire Department, South King Fire and Rescue, Burien Fire Department, Brown's Point Rescue and the US Coast Guard. While this instilled me with confidence in regards to the safety of the swim; it also reminded me of the seriousness of swimming across the sound and the gravity of a situation that could develop if something happen ed.
In the end, 36 swimmers made it; five were pulled due to rough water conditions. The times ranged from one hour to two hours and fifteen minutes; I came in, unofficially (the results haven't been posted yet), at 1 hour and 20 minutes. A 10 mph NNE wind, with gusts up to 14mph, created some white caps and added some strong currents, which didn't help anyone's time. I myself came in about 200 yards south of the lighthouse due to the conditions, and while I don't have the GPS coordinates to prove it, I know I swam over the 2.3 miles due to swimming more of an arc than a straight line.
I've attached some photos of the swim to try and capture the scope of the swim and the support personnel that escorted us across. The swim was from a beach right beside the pier to a lighthouse on the island. If you zoom in on the DesMoinesMarinaPan picture you can spot the tower on the island across from the pier. I'm still waiting for some other photos and for the event organizer to post them to a website. When more pictures become available I will forward them on.
Again, thank you for your donation and support,"
Matt Finster
First Ambassador, Project WOO
The swim is a 2.3 mile journey in 50-degree water, from the DesMoines Beach Park to Point Robinson on Maury Island, just south of Seattle, WA.
Matt swam for two causes in this race, with 50% of funds raised going to Project WOO and the other 50% going to the Brent Rice Memorial Foundation, which helps provide swim lessons for low-income families who can’t afford them and aquatic safety education programs in the Puget Sound area.
Support Matt in this race by making a donation below! Project WOO is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and all donations are 100% tax deductible. Keep reading for more information about the race, or check out the event website and the write-up in the B-Town Blog.
Please enter the amount you wish to donate in the box below and click "donate". Please note - you must delete the text "Enter Amount" and type in a donation amount before you click "Donate". If you receive an error message, double check that you entered a valid amount or contact us for assistance. Thank you for your support!
The swim was started in 2006 by 17-year old Justin Moser, who wanted to honor his friend and mentor Brent Rice, who passed away just over four years ago in a car accident. Brent Rice once did the swim himself as a personal challenge from one of his brothers. Brent Rice was a local swimmer, where he competed at both the state and national level receiving All-American honors.
The swim is a 2.3 mile journey in 50-degree water, from the DesMoines Beach Park to Point Robinson on Maury Island. The first year eight made the journey, and last year they quadrupled the number of swimmers. This year organizers would like to have as many as 100 adventurous athletes join their quest to Swim the Sound. The swim will be run by volunteers, lifeguards, the Des Moines Fire Department and the US Coast Guard.
With 45 swimmers taking the plunge in 2009, last year they raised $4,000.00 for the Brent Rice Memorial Foundation. The foundation, created in 2006, helps provide swim lessons for low-income families who can’t afford them and aquatic safety education programs in the Puget Sound area. Last years’ funds will be awarded to Mt Rainier Pool, Kent Meridian Pool and Evergreen Pool for swim lessons and other aquatic programs later this year.
View Brent Rice Memorial Swim in a larger map
