The Destin Log
http://www.thedestinlog.com/news/rosa-19422-santa-plans.htm
Growing up, Adam Christiansen says his biggest fear was swimming in the gulf, but Saturday morning he plans to cut through 10 miles of open water to raise money for the Ronald McDonald Foundation.
The 26-year-old Santa Rosa Beach resident has been swimming since the age of six. Throughout his competitive years, his expertise was short distance swims.
“I hated distance swimming. I thought it was something I would never be good at,” Christiansen said. “It is so mentally and physically challenging.”
But for the past two years, he has been training for Saturday’s swim, which he hopes will be the first of many to raise money for children in need.
Christiansen will enter the water around 11 a.m. at Ed Walline Park in Walton County and swim 2.5 miles west to the end of the 30A using a beach flag as his marker. After making the 5-mile loop he will go back and do it again. The trip should take him between four and six hours depending on water conditions.
While he has done 10 miles in a pool, he says it will be a lot different Saturday morning. Along with the current and depth, “there is that fear factor of swimming with all the little creatures,” Christiansen said.
“I did a five mile swim last Saturday and it felt great. But the jellyfish were so bad. I probably got stung 100 times.”
To overcome his childhood fear of swimming in the gulf with all the “critters,” Christiansen said he had to put his faith in God.
While out in the open water, “I can almost hear the angels singing like God’s saying it’s going to be OK,” he said. “This is bigger than me. It’s for Him and the benefit of the kingdom.”
For more information about Saturday’s swim or to donate to the Ronald McDonald Foundation, visit operationh2o.com.