Racers take on St. Louis Bay for 2nd annual swim across the bay

BILOXI, MS (WLOX) - For more than 100 swimmers, the two mile swim across St. Louis Bay was a task many spent weeks training for.

The second annual Swim across the bay nearly doubled its registered swimmers over year one. Co-organizer Madeline Simpson says the race started as a family and friends thing, but she and her sister thought everyone should be able to take part.

"It's a fun race and Amelia enjoyed doing it with a group of my dad's friends a few years ago, and she knew that a lot of people were interested in doing it so she wanted to organize the race for them," said Simpson.

They came from all over to make the swim, like Barbara Edington from Groves, TX.

"This is my first two mile open water swim," Edington said. "I usually do triathalons. A friend invited me that's from this area and I thought why not? It looked great and thought I'd like to participate."

Rut Youngblood spends his weekends in Bay St. Louis, and this race presented an opportunity to clear something from his bucket list.

"I wanted to do a swim across the bay myself later this year, and I didn't know an event was put on so when an event came about, I learned about it four weeks ago," Youngblood said. "I started swimming and I signed up."

Along with 101 racers, there were volunteers in 18 kayaks, 4 boats and a number of volunteers on land making sure the event went off without a hitch. The Harrison County Sheriff and Marine Patrol also offered help to control boat traffic during the race. Simpson says the help is appreciated, but hopes more volunteers lend a hand as the event grows.

"I think it's a learning process," said Simpson. "I think every year it's going to be different, we're going to learn new things especially now that we've doubled our participants. We need more volunteers. We need more support in the water to be able to make the swimmers feel comfortable."

Edington and Youngblood were both nervously excited before the race.

"I was hoping the water wouldn't be so choppy, but I'm expecting a nice steady swim across and just looking to have a good morning," said Edington.

“It’s probably the first race I do, because I do other adventure races or long distance races, but never swimming long distance,” Youngblood said. “This is the first time and I’m a little nervous about it.”

The first swimmers came across the finish line in about an hour, ready to come back and race again next year.

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