A resident of Manhattan made a 60-kilometer swim around Staten Island
'24.07.2023'
Alina Prikhodko
It's not often that someone intentionally exposes themselves to swimming in the harsh waters of Staten Island. However, seasoned swimmer Leslie Hamilton was determined to swim the nearly 60km around Staten Island, starting and finishing at Goethals Bridge. The girl swam for 14 and a half hours, never leaving the water. The publication told about her feat Silive.
The girl began her journey around 00:30 on Sunday, July 9. She swam resolutely in the dark, even changing clothes in the water, while maintaining optimism and fuse.
A year of training, planning and anticipation reached its climax when the girl took her last strokes, climbing out of the water near Goethals Bridge, where she started.
“I was really shocked,” she said. “As soon as I got out of the water, I was speechless.”
Leslie has been a marathon swimmer since 2019, meaning she swims over 10 meters. Sailing around Staten Island was her biggest challenge to date. In the past, she swam 000 km around Manhattan and 45 km in seven days in a marathon. "Eight bridgeswhich led her from the Catskills to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. The difficult route around the island was, literally and figuratively, uncharted territory.
“As a Manhattan resident, I travel by subway. And if you look like a subway passenger, then you understand how small Staten Island is compared to Manhattan,” she continued. People forget how big it really is. I felt like it was some kind of hidden test.”
On the subject: One in five New Yorkers drink toxic water because of lead pipes
Planning for the long haul
Even though Hamilton swam the distance alone, she was not alone. She had support in the water and on land.
“The support team is very, very important,” the swimmer said. - I take my hat off to New York Open Water (NYOW) and everything they did to make it happen. I was just lucky that I was able to come and swim.”
According to Leslie, the members of the NYOW team were the "masterminds" behind the swim. They studied the tides and currents to make sure the conditions were right for sailing around the island.
An important mission
“Our mission is to secure, support and fund open water swimming and kayaking programs and events. While advocating for better management of New York State's natural water resources and facilitating public access to these waters," said a NYOW spokesperson.
Along with a passion for swimming, the girl shares the feeling of fighting for the waters of New York.
“The main reason we run these swims is to show people that the water is clean and safe,” Hamilton said.
On the subject: The best fountains in New York, where you can cool off in the summer
In keeping with NYOW's mission, she believes that awareness is the key to keeping pace with improvement and reducing pollution in New York City's waterways.
“Wildlife is returning and nature is healing,” she said.
Experts say the increase in wildlife sightings in New York's parks and waters is a good sign of a healthy ecosystem. Department Data New York Environmental Protection, demonstrate a reduction in waterway pollution. Swimmers' optimism about the future of New York waters is justified.
She is not the first to swim around the island. The first such swim was made in 1961 by a college student and lifeguard named Palmer Donnelly.
