Perspectives Winter/Spring 2019

10 | DR. PALLAVI PATEL COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES Stephen Andreades, M.M.S., PA-C, a physician assistant (PA) professor in the Fort Lauderdale PA Program, accomplished an amazing feat when he com- pleted a daring swim around Alcatraz Island in July. The rocky island of Alcatraz, located within San Fran- cisco Bay, is the site of a former maximum-security federal prison that existed from 1934 until 1963. Notorious criminals, such as Al Capone, were confined there. The ultimate barrier to escape was the formidable waters of San Francisco Bay, which are bitter cold, with temperatures less than 60 degrees. In addition, there are strong currents and powerful tides. Furthermore, while rare, there has been docu- mentation of great white sharks lurking in the waters and attacking prey. As a result, the waters of Alcatraz barred prisoners from swimming to freedom during the 29 years the penitentiary was operational. Andreades’ swim in Alcatraz waters occurred while he was participating in an annual 3.6-mile competition held in early July called Swim Around the Rock. Only 30 swimmers with qualifying parameters are accepted due to the difficulty of the swim. Each year, many swimmers sign up, but almost a third cannot finish the race without assistance. What was extraordinary was the fact that An- dreades not only completed the swim, but finished in second place. It is astonishing that, while many of the contestants lived locally and had practiced the swim with extensive training, Andreades had never done the swim before. Andreades, who was up for the challenge, had been involved in aquatics for most of his life, participating in water polo and swimming competitions, working as an advanced scuba diver, and working as an ocean-res- cue lifeguard in South Florida. In November 2017, he committed himself to complete the swim and started training in the gym, the pool, and in the ocean. He worked rigorously for several months to prepare. “It was a clear day starting on Saint Francis Beach, and it felt like we could reach out and touch the Golden Gate Bridge,” said Andreades, describing the vivid images at the onset of the race. “The cold BY PAMELA JAFFEY, M.D., PA, FCAP A DARING SWIM BY A PA PROFESSOR ALCATRAZ survivinG