In the Bay, one can find bridges, boats, seals and in the middle of it all, senior Lucy Faust taking a swim in the water.

Faust participates in a type of swimming called open water swimming. The sport consists of athletes swimming in open water, whether it be a lake or the Pacific Ocean. Faust began open water swimming in the fifth grade.

“It’s rare that I’m doing it because I’m young,” Faust said, “but it’s a pretty popular sport.”

Faust was introduced to open water swimming by a former coach who was involved in the sport and trained other young athletes to swim in open water. She said that she fell in love with the sport after her first open water swim. Although it was only in a lake, she said it was an amazing experience after spending so many years in the pool.

“I was honestly so confused by where the finish line was,” Faust said. “When you’re in a pool, you don’t have to look up because you know where you are, but in open water swimming, you have to be much more aware of your surroundings. You have to be aware of the tides, the weather and where other people are.”

Since her first swim, Faust has competed in several sanctioned open water swimming events in the Bay. She said the peak of her open water swimming career was during her sophomore year when she swam from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Bridge.

“It was really fun, it took a while and it was super challenging,” Faust said.

Of all the open water swims she has participated in, the bridge-to-bridge swim was the only race that Faust trained for. Instead of practicing at the Piedmont Pool, Faust practiced at Aquatic Park in San Francisco, an inlet that is a popular swim practice destination for open water swimmers.

“That was really tough,” Faust said. “I was waking up at 4 a.m., driving to San Francisco, swimming in the pitch black, getting back into the car, showering at home and then barely getting to school.”

These practices usually consisted of Faust being the only swimmer in the water, with her dad on land following her with a flashlight. During one of her swims, Faust came face-to-face with seal which quickly disappeared into the water.

“I was so scared, I didn’t know if it was under me or where it went” Faust said. “Looking back I know it was only a seal, but it felt like a shark.”

In the end, her training paid off and Faust walked away from the race with $100 and an award for the Under 18 Women’s Swimmer of the Year.

But it is not just her age; Faust’s approach to open water swimming is what sets her apart from her fellow swimmers. While all open water swimmers are required to be followed by a boat with a medic and event official, Faust has eliminated an optional component from her open water swims: a wetsuit.

“I’m lucky enough to have enough body fat to keep me insulated,” Faust said. “My coach kind of discouraged me from using one because he’s like, ‘That’s what wimps do.’ Also I don’t have one, but it’s not really that cold.”

Faust said that it is very possible to swim in the Bay, but swimmers have to know their limits in order to avoid hypothermia.

“It’s like, ‘Okay I know I can’t feel my fingers but I can last,’” Faust said. “But then you get to the point where you’re like, ‘I can’t feel my hands, now I have to get out.’”

Not only is the water cold, it is murkier and dirtier than one might expect.

“[Open water swimming] is a reminder for how gross the Bay is,” Faust said. “You really can’t see anything. It has this nasty smell to it. Sometimes you get out and you’re just not clean.”

But despite the the cold, Faust said she loves the sport and plans to continue pursuing it.