Last Sunday, September 28 in Knoxville, Jen Baker and Adrienne Kramer ‘cruised’ through 6.2 miles/10K in 75-76°F water temperatures in the annual Bridges to Bluffs open water swim! Congratulations!
With the water flowing at a minimal rate of 5500 CFS – cubic feet per second, and with the weather cooperating beautifully, Jen’s son Dalton paddled for her swimming freestyle and she looked smooth and said she ‘felt awesome!’
At the finish Dalton proclaimed “Mom, this was fun but I never want to do it again!” That’s definitely a tough job paddling and supporting a swimmer on a long endeavor like this!
Jen came 10th out of 34 women and 25th out of 65 total swimmers for a total time of two hours 37 minutes 20 seconds!
Jen has done many open water swims over the years and having taken a break from it for a few + years she hasn’t missed a beat while regaining her form and her fitness level to conquer this awesome event!
Well done Dalton and Jen.
Lisa Kiebzak paddled for her butterfly queen Adrienne swimming fly the whole way (of course!) looking calm as ever as she came in at three hours six minutes 57 seconds, 20th place for woman and 50th place overall!
Adrienne said she felt the best between miles 3 – 4 1/2, and her time was the same as it was several years ago when there was four times as much water flow at 22,000 CFS, telling us that she’s in incredible shape and aging like a freaking renegade!
Lisa says it was ‘A beautiful foggy morning turned into a perfectly sunny day. Adrienne grinded out those miles in seemingly effortless Kramer style. However, we all know that what she does is anything but effortless.’ Amen to that.
Next up is a 10 miler in Chattanooga, the first weekend in October for Adrienne, Swim the Suck which will bring her a triple crown title which she was denied due to hurricane Helene last year!
What’s the triple crown you ask Well…
The Tennessee Triple Crown Open Water Series consists of three iconic swimming events in the Southeast. The three races are:
- Swim the Suck: A 10-mile open water swim held in Chattanooga.
- Swim Hobbs Island: A 5-mile open water swim held in Huntsville.
- Bridges to Bluffs 10K: A 10-kilometer downstream open water swim in the Tennessee River, held in Knoxville, where participants jump off the Star of Knoxville Riverboat and swim under five historic bridges.
Completing all three events earns swimmers a Triple Crown award, with different levels of recognition based on completion within one, two, or three years!
Congratulations swimming studs! Congratulations paddlers! Have a great 10 miler in this weekend Adrienne and Lisa! 
Asheville Masters Swimming 