S.F. woman is first to swim from Farallones to Golden Gate

The English Channel gets all the attention as the most famous open-water swim, and over 3,000 people have crossed its bitterly cold waters.

But in the world of extreme marathon swimming, the 30 miles of shark-infested waters between the Farallon Islands and San Francisco is the most difficult stretch to cross. Until Saturday, only four people, all of them men, had accomplished the swim.

Kim Chambers made history Saturday as the first woman to swim from the Farallones to San Francisco, reaching the Golden Gate Bridge in 17 hours and 12 minutes.

“This is the hardest open-water swim in the world,” said Vito Baillo, Chambers’ coach who rode in the boat following her.