Yesterday I received this email and photo from another swimmer at the Dolphin Club. With permission from Lolly, I am sharing it with you.
"Yesterday I completed the Polar Bear swim. I’m stoked. Not only cause
it was my first winter in the bay, and not only cause I made it
through a particularly cold one, and not only cause I missed half of
January due to getting the flu and busting up my knee but making up
the distance anyway. I’m especially stoked because this Wednesday
would have been my father’s 100th birthday, so I swim in his memory.
While we were growing up my dad loved to swim. He was so thrilled to
move from New York to California where he could have a swimming pool.
All those summers in the water, what great times. I remember swimming
the length of our pool under water, holding onto his back. And as far
back as I can remember he used to talk about the crazy Polar Bears of
Aquatic Park - shaking his head, sure, but with maybe a little
admiration mixed in.
The last few years of his life, Dad lived in the Fontana, right over
the cove. He spent many wonderful hours looking out at the bay,
watching the weather over Mt. Tam, the ships and boats, and of course
the swimmers. And maybe he would have looked out around seven o’clock
yesterday morning and seen me coming around the flag. I’m sure he
would have gotten a kick out of knowing I had become one of those
crazy Polar Bears myself. And I sure do love knowing he’s watching
over me.
So here’s another mile to Ira Lewis (March 5, 1908 -March 23, 1989).
- Lolly"
