James — at just 4-foot-6 and 57 pounds — was able to set a record as the youngest swimmer to make the journey to the former prison
.jpg)
By completing the grueling open water challenge, the fourth-grader from Los Banos, Calif., has broken a record previously held by a 10-year-old boy who completed the tiring trek last year.
James said that waves in the San Francisco Bay kept hitting him in the face 30 minutes into his swim and made him want to give up. A fleet of paddlers stayed by his side the entire time.
“I wanted to turn back and they kept yelling, 'I believe you can do it,'” James told KSEE.
.jpg)
James' coach, Josh Weinberger, was confident with all of the boy's training that he had the technique and fortitude to finish.
With his newfound achievement, it turns out he's not done testing his limits. Next up, he said, something slightly easier: Swim the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, a distance of about 1.7 miles
USA Records Organization_USKINGS are still collecting more information from many sources and it is our pleasure listening to everybody's comments to have a full evaluation of the USA Around You: “A 9 year olds California boy, swims to Alcatraz Island and back, breaks record!“
USA RECORDS ORGANIZATION_USKINGS
