Change Agent | Christopher Swain
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Swimming Again
Hey Folks, Good news: I am spending a lot more time in the water this summer than last. Although I am about 13 field reports behind, I have been tearing up the New Hampshire and Massachusetts coastlines with my old crew chief from the Columbia and Hudson Rivers, Chris Runyard. How can you follow the swim when I am not k... Continue reading Swimming Again
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Tweet This PostSwim Day #39: Battle of Chelsea Creek
I was jones-ing to finish off the Mystic River today. But as we motored upriver toward the Amelia Earhart Dam in the Flagship Adventures RIB, we ran smack into one of the realities of this hyper-vigilant age: the security bubble that surrounds the huge tankers that deliver Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) to the terminal in Boston's lower My... Continue reading Swim Day #39: Battle of Chelsea Creek
Back Injuries, Body Fat, and Broken Hearts: a year in and out of the Atlantic Ocean
One year ago today, I hugged my daughters, adjusted my goggles, and giant-stepped backward into the forty-two degree Atlantic Ocean. As curious locals cheered and a swarm of media types threatened to capsize a nearby fuel dock, I took my first strokes in a 1,000 mile swim from Marblehead, Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. Truth be ... Continue reading Back Injuries, Body Fat, and Broken Hearts: a year in and out of the Atlantic Ocean
Jet Exhaust, Oil, and an Airport Security Zone: Swim Day #38
Today, my ongoing quest to splash through the neglected corners of Boston Harbor took me from Constitution Beach around the back of Logan Airport and out past Winthrop to Deer Island Lighthouse. I swam beneath a slicing rain. I inhaled jet exhaust, and I could taste the oil and dog poop running out of the storm drains. ... Continue reading Jet Exhaust, Oil, and an Airport Security Zone: Swim Day #38
Arsenic and Water Chestnuts: Swimming the Upper Mystic River on Day #37
Why am I swimming in the upper Mystic River, miles inland of the sea? Well, it's simple: we can't separate coastal water quality from upland water quality. To put it another way, it is silly to pretend that the rivers draining into our ocean do not affect the marine web of life. But let's back up a bit. Five hundre... Continue reading Arsenic and Water Chestnuts: Swimming the Upper Mystic River on Day #37
