Johnny Wilson (swimmer)
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Johnny Wilson (born c. 1996) is a competitive swimmer from Hillsborough, California. On October 10, 2005, nine-year-old Johnny broke the world's record for the youngest person to swim from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco. He held this record until seven-year-old Braxton Bilbrey made the swim on May 22, 2006; he was inspired by Wilson's swim.
A member of the Burlingame Aquatic Club team, Johnny got the idea for the 1.4-mile Alcatraz swim from his coach Rick Murray, himself an ocean swimmer and triathlete.
The fourth-grader (4' 6" / 137 cm, 86 lbs / 39 kg) would be facing a long swim through cold, shark-infested waters. The boy trained rigorously, doing numerous three-mile nonstop swims in a pool and several long-distance shore swims (1.5 or more miles) in the bay. He adjusted to the cold water, able to swim 75 minutes at a time in the bay.
On the morning of Oct 10, Johnny's planned 7:10 am jump off from Alcatraz was held up by the unexpected passage of a barge. The delay was only 15 minutes, but it meant the young athlete would be battling stronger than planned currents.
At 7:25 am, Johnny finally left Alcatraz and began the long trek to San Francisco's Aquatic Park. A wetsuit and swimming hood protected him during his trek through the 58-degree water. Joining him were Murray and two members of the Dolphin Club (Aquatic Park), Pete Neubauer and Neal Powers, who swam on each side of him. Additional crew monitored his progress from a boat and helicopter.
Johnny Wilson completed his swim in one hour and six minutes, about two months before his 10th birthday. On shore, he was greeted by his parents, school friends, and news reporters. The nominal 1.4-mile distance wound up being longer due to rough water.
While there is no official governing body that records Alcatraz swims, Johnny's record-breaking swim will be noted by the Dolphin Club.
Sponsors for the event gave pledges for the Red Cross Katrina Relief Fund for each quarter mile he swam. In all, Johnny raised $45,000 for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
With the Alcatraz swim behind him, Johnny Wilson is considering a swim from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oakland Bay Bridge, a six-mile distance.
Johnny Wilson currently attends North Hillsborough Elementary School. When asked about his plans for the future, he states, "I hope to receive a Stanford swimming scholarship".
