Thirteen-year-old ShahaanTavadia from Phoenix, Arizona was among the intrepid swimmers who successfully completed the two-day challenge of swimming in the open waters of San Francisco Bay on April 15 and 16, 2023. Around 70 swimmers, aged between10 and 60 years, conquered the "treacherous currents, chilly waters and marine life” for which the Bay waters are known, reported Shahaan’s mother Rukshana.
Since swimming in such unfavorable conditions makes it "a formidable task even for experienced swimmers,” Shahaan had been honing his skills in the pool for the past six years, "dedicating countless hours of hard work and determination to improve his technique and endurance.
Shahaan Tavadia: diving into frigid waters
Fearlessly diving into the frigid waters and embarking on this incredible journey with determination and perseverance, he powered through the currents, staying focused to reach his goal,” added Rukshana. Each day, the event lasted for around three hours, including boat time to the designated spot, followed by the swim that took nearly an hour and the return journey to the shore.
On the first day, for the swim scheduled to commence from Alcatraz Island and end at the pier at a distance of 1.4 miles, Shahaan was swept away by the currents to a different location than the finish line. The quick witted teenager quickly assessed the situation, gathered information about his location and then deemed it wiser to swim back along the coastline until he was reunited with his swim party. "It was a moment of great joy and pride for him, his family and his coaches,” conveyed Rukshana. On the second day, the swim spanned a distance of 1.2 miles across the Golden Gate Bridge.
Completing the two momentous swims, Shahaan proved that he had "escaped his limitations.” As explained by Rukshana, the Alcatraz swim has a catch line "Escape your limitation.” It is linked to the Alcatraz prison from which it was believed no one could escape the rough waters to reach the shore. (The prison had become well known following the movie and book Escape from Alcatraz.) Hence those attempting to swim along the route are considered to be "escaping their limitations.”
Swimming for Shahaan started as a life skill since his parents Rukshana and Sarosh, who work in the information technology sector, enjoy it too. In fact, even his paternal grandfather Ratan Tavadia and maternal grandmother Prochi Aibara were avid swimmers. Over the years Shahaan has won prizes at indoor swim competitions conducted by his club. Studying in the eighth grade at the Basis Phoenix Charter School in Arizona, martial arts have been another passion with Shahaan since a young age. He is a second degree Taekwondo Black Belt.
The family regularly participates in the activities of the Zoroastrian Association of Arizona where Rukshana currently serves as treasurer. The Tavadias relocated to the USA in 2010 when Shahaan was a year old. Prayers have played an important role for the family. "He has been taught since he was a kid to say Ashem Vohu and Yatha Ahu Vairyo before starting any major activity” which he continues to do before any school examination or swim event, mentioned the mother.