On Sunday June 14, two thousand triathletes haling from around the world hopped into the frigid bay surrounding San Francisco’s Alcatraz and swam for their lives through shark infested waters. They did it for fun, for competition and many reasons. St. Mary’s own, death-defying triathlete, Brian Boyle did so because he can – one more time.
The 2009 Escape from Alcatraz triathlon on Sunday was an awesome race! “ exclaimed Boyle. He went on to state that the event includes a 1.5 mile swim through the bone chilling cold water with heavy and treacherous currents; then an 18 mile bike course throughout the hilly streets of San Francisco, followed by an eight-mile run in the sand that includes a notorious section called the ‘sand ladder.’
Boyle explained, “at mile five, we had to climb from Baker Beach back up to the road that is a combination of sand and about 400 uneven log steps that go straight up that drained every bit of energy I had left.”
However, a simple matter of losing a bit of energy mid race, did nothing to dampen the triathlete’s enthusiasm for the sport. “Overall it was an awesome race, very challenging and a lot of fun!”
“The Alcatraz race was my first triathlon of the season so I was trying to test everything out. I ended up in the top 25 percent, which is definitely a big improvement since last season, especially with the run.
For those TBN readers that need reminding, the fact that Boyle was able to race is considered a miracle to many. The young man just out of high school was involved in a terrible accident that damaged every organ in his body and saw him die eight times.
Not only did Boyle survive the injuries, three short years later, he competed in the Ironman Triathlon defying the medical community who had stated on more than one occasion that he would never be able to talk again.
Boyle’s next triathlon event is the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series to be run in Washington, D.C. on June 21. The competition is the top level in the sport.
On race day, age group triathletes and elite triathletes from around the world will race back-to-back through the monuments, memorials and museums as triathletes compete on car-free roads through the city.
The Washington triathlon is the only stop in the United States. Other stops in the prestigious series included, Hamburg, Kitzbühel and London. After Washington, DC, the series will finish with the grand final at the Gold Coast, Australia.
