Date: Fri 20-Sep-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Bayles-Alcatraz-swim

Full Text:

GENNEWS With Photos : Swimming From Alcatraz

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

James M. Bayles is always ready to take on a new challenge, especially when it

comes to swimming.

The Butterfield Road resident recently returned from California where he swam

from Alcatraz to Fisherman's Wharf September 8 in the chilly, shark-infested

waters of San Francisco. And he did it all for charity.

"I figured I could do it. It really didn't look that far, but when they

dropped me off at the Rock, the nerves started to kick in," he explained. "It

ended up being a lot of fun."

Alcatraz Prison, which has been closed for more than 30 years, was once a

maximum security institution that was supposed to be impossible to escape

from.

Jim, who moved to Newtown from New Canaan with his wife, Trina, and three

daughters Jen, Brooke and Katie in June, made the 1.3-mile swim after his

friend Bob Brennan of Williams Real Estate made him a challenge he couldn't

refuse, offering him $10,000 for charity plus expenses if he made it across

the bay. Jim ended up finishing the swim in 20th place out of 190 swimmers in

34 minutes, 29 seconds.

Swimming has been a lifelong passion for Jim, 44, who began swimming

competitively at the age of five, went to the nationals at Dartmouth College

where he excelled in the 400 individual medley, and barely missed the Olympic

trials in 1972. In recent years, however, he has decided to use the sport he

loves so much to give something back to society.

"I do it because I love to swim, and I love the challenge," he explained.

Over the last three years, Jim has been raising money for the Juvenile

Diabetes Foundation International by either swimming or biking.

Jim's father suffered from juvenile diabetes from age 19 until the day he died

at age 75. Like Jim, his father managed to keep himself in shape and, at his

death, was the healthiest diabetic in the United States in terms of

complications caused by the disease.

"When he was 60, his doctor told him that he was no longer going to die of

diabetes, but instead would die of old age," Jim explained.

The diabetes foundation was founded in 1970 by parents of diabetic children,

who were convinced that through research, diabetes could be cured.

The day before his Alcatraz swim, Jim noticed that San Francisco Bay was as

smooth as glass and he hoped it would stay that way for the race. But it was

breezy the following day and the water was choppy. While many of the swimmers

wore wet suits as they entered the 58-degree water, Jim jumped in with nothing

more than his bathing suit and a pair of goggles. As for the sharks, Jim said

he was told most were not man eaters. The bay's strong currents have been

known to drag men out to sea, but the Newtown resident said not on the day of

the swim, which was sponsored by the South End Rowing Club.

"It was exhilarating. I'm glad I did it," he explained earlier this week. "I

don't know if I'll do it again, but now I can say I did it."

Jim, who works for Chase Manhattan Bank's corporate real estate division in

New York City, reports he's raised over $17,000 this year, but he's not

finished yet. Next year, the local distance swimmer plans to freestyle 14

miles across Long Island Sound from Bridgeport to Port Jefferson, and he

hasn't ruled out the possibility of swimming the English Channel.

Two years ago, the 5-11, 190-pound athlete swam, kicked and pulled a full

marathon (26.2 miles or 42,000 meters) in a pool. It took him 13 hours and he

raised over $10,000. Last year, he raised the same amount by swimming a half

marathon in a pool and bicycling 110 miles, all in a day.

Jim and Trina moved their family to Newtown three months ago after they

decided to leave New Canaan, where both of them grew up.

"We were looking to make a change to some place more wide open and less

crowded," he explained. "We really like it here in Newtown."

Jim keeps in shape by swimming three or four times a week at the New Canaan

YMCA.