In this file photo, Bok Sun Hwang, left, and Iek Hun Ahn pose with the polar bears they received after completing the 500 Sails and Dolphin Club Saipan Polar Bear Swim from 2021-2022.
500 Sails and Dolphin Club Saipan are ready to launch the 2023-2024 iteration of the Polar Bear Swim beginning Dec. 21, according to Program Manager Andrea Carr.
The annual event is a swim challenge that 500 Sails and Dolphin Club Saipan issue to the community. Participants are challenged to safely swim 40 or more miles from Dec. 21, 2023, to March 21, 2024.
The participants can self-record their miles anywhere in the lagoon, Carr said, adding that the 500 Sails Guma Sakman has a swimming log board where people can compare their progress.
500 Sails said participants may also record miles in a swimming pool.
Participants who complete the 40-mile minimum requirement will receive a polar bear figurine to commemorate the occasion.
Participants from Rota and Tinian are likewise welcomed to participate and should email info@500sails.org for more information.
In the past, participants used various online fitness recording apps like Strava to measure their swimming distance traveled through the lagoon.
A Google Maps measurement reveals that the World War II tank nearest the Guma Sakman is approximately 200 meters or over 650 feet away from the shore. Swimmers have used this tank as a measuring point in past Polar Bear Swims, going back and forth between the shore and the tank to keep track of their miles.
“As we know, some people largely exercise by swimming,” Carr said. “The Polar Bear swim celebrates and encourages people to swim through the winter months and maybe bring some fun into the activity. In our lagoon, the water also gets a little chilly but that shouldn’t stop swimmers from swimming.”
With the new year just around the corner, and fitness resolutions being made, Carr said a benefit of the Polar Bear Swim is increased fitness. Aside from being a program manager, Carr is a former commercial boat captain, an American Red Cross certified water safety instructor, and the instructor of the Sirena Project, an all-women swim class.
“Swimming helps move joints without the harsh impacts of exercising on hard surfaces. It helps keep the muscles toned in all extremities and in the core. Swimming combines rhythmic breathing with body movement and can raise the heart rate for a cardio workout that also increases circulation,” Carr said.
She said swimming in the lagoon is almost a reward in itself.
“Even Mother Nature sometimes gives a bonus of an eagle ray or turtle sighting,” Carr said. “Fish around the [World War II] tank are always something to look forward to.”
Carr said people who want to learn how to swim so they can participate in the challenge may email info@500sails.org/.
