Welcome to Hannah Yoffa's Swimmer Page!
Friends,
After more than a decade, I’ve again decided to participate in the Save the Bay Swim. It was my mom who taught me how to be a great swimmer and how to properly train for this very swim 20 years ago. For those that knew her, she was not one for holding back her opinion. If we were going to train for this 2 mile swim, we were going to do it right - dammit.
My first memories of the Save the Bay swim was from when I was about four, the same age as Arlo, meeting my mom after finishing the race at the water's edge. Either as her fearless rower or focused spotter, my Dad was always in the row boat that was leading her across the bay. I remember even as a little kid thinking it was so cool that my mom had just swam from Newport to Jamestown, who the heck would do that for fun?!
It was always something I wanted to do with her and in 2004 we finally signed up together. Hours of training in the pool and the meals that followed, those are some of the fondest memories I share with my mom - it was our thing. At this time, my Dad became my rower, as he used to say, “I’m switching to youth”. I swam the bay four times with my mom and loved each and every second, even when we were fending off jellyfish (my first swim) or taking whitecaps to the face (our last swim).
Swimming the bay in memory of mom is something I’ve been thinking about since she passed away in November, 2021 and finally got up the nerve to do it. Every time I train, I think of her and everything she taught me in regards to swimming and life. In an odd sense, it’s the closet I’ve felt to her, so training is going really well! I’ve taken my dads advice by “switching to a younger model” and sweet talked Corey into being my kayaker.
Save the Bay is an incredible organization that is doing great work for Narragansett Bay. It’s a community that my mom was part of, whether volunteering or participating in the swim. But this year I swim for Robin, a total badass, who would love that I’m doing this and think it’s so cool that Arlo will be there to give me a big hug when I finish.
Thank you for your support!
Love,
Hannah
If you think this page contains objectionable content, please inform the system administrator.