Malvern Prep’s water polo team just swam the cold waters of the San Francisco Bay. Here’s why.

Oh, to be a fly in the room.

To have a bird’s-eye view of the faces of Malvern Prep’s boys’ water polo team when their head coach, Jay Schiller, convinced his team that, to kick off their 2023 preseason training, they’d be swimming the expanse of the San Francisco Bay, from Alcatraz Island to Aquatic Park, on the shores of San Francisco.

It’s a swim that has been done many times — but it’s not one for the faint of heart. Even in the dog days of August, it involves jumping into the 60-degree waters of the bay, waters that have seen sharks and rays swimming among those brave enough to take the leap. Once in, it’s a nearly 2-mile swim back to shore — against the current.

“This is an awesome challenge and swim work out for our guys,” said Schiller, who, in addition to coaching the water polo team, previously served as the Malvern Prep swim coach for 12 years. “I just felt this would be an awesome team-bonding activity, and it’s a great way to kick off what’s going to be a tough preseason. But we’re also doing it for a great cause, and that I think was what really made our boys rally around the idea.”

The idea was that Malvern Prep’s water polo team would be among a number of others to swim in benefit of Team Hydro, an organization committed to raising awareness of and researching hydrocephalus, a neurological disorder that causes a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain and can affect children and adults.

Before Schiller convinced his team, though, he himself needed convincing. Enter Peter Finlayson, a longtime supporter of Malvern’s swim program and a cofounder of Team Hydro who has been doing the swim alongside Water World Swim, which oversees the course and its safety.

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Finlayson’s drive in raising awareness and the funds needed for research comes primarily in honor of his sister, Kate, who suffered from hydrocephalus. Despite enduring over 100 brain surgeries, Kate died from complications of hydrocephalus at 26 years old. The Alcatraz swim is the crown jewel of Team Hydro’s fundraising efforts, with a goal of raising $100,000 from the event. This year was Finlayson’s 19th Alcatraz swim — and he wanted Malvern Prep’s water polo team along for the ride.

“I started by telling them about my sister Kate,” Finlayson said of his conversations with Schiller and the team. “She is the reason I do this, and her story, along with personal stories many of our swimmers bring to race day, are meaningful motivators for all of us. We are totally volunteer-run and committed to “zero overhead” — meaning any costs we incur to run the events, someone donates directly. This means every penny we raise goes directly to research. This is our primary fundraiser every year. Without the Alcatraz swim, we couldn’t do what we do.”

Finlayson says he was “upfront about the cold, the currents, and the wildlife,” meaning potential dangers in the water, but Finlayson’s story — and what this swim would mean for Team Hydro — was all the team needed to hear.

“Once we got to learn more about Coach Peter’s situation, I personally saw this as a great honor to participate in this event,” said William Daphtary, a junior on the team. “I’m not going to lie, I was surprised that this is how we were going to start the season, but this is also a great way to strengthen our team bond while creating awareness for hydrocephalus research. One of the missions at our school is to be in support of others, and I couldn’t think of a better way.”

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So what was Finlayson’s message to fuel the group?

“There is nothing like swimming in the open water with Alcatraz behind you, the Golden Gate Bridge to one side, Bay Bridge on the other, and the San Francisco skyline in front of you,” he said. “It is not an easy swim by any means, but it will be wonderful and something they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Followed by brutal honesty.

“The first minute will be the worst,” Finlayson continued. “You’ll be shocked by the water temperature, and it will take a little bit to get used to being out there. But once you get moving, it gets better. [I told them that] if you ever have a moment of doubt, remembering the 1,000,000 Americans with hydrocephalus for whom you’re swimming — I promise that will give you superpowers.”

The swim took place Saturday under cloudy skies and a bit of fog. With wetsuits and goggles, the team, along with other supporters, took the leap off two boats at the base of historic Alcatraz Island into the cold waters. Everyone participating completed the swim, and, when the dust settled, Team Hydro raised $101,000.

While the event may seem like a daunting task to ask of a high school water polo team, Malvern Prep isn’t an ordinary program. It is among the gold standard of prep water polo programs in the area. Since becoming a varsity sport in 2001, the program has won five league titles and captured the Eastern Prep Water Polo Championship behind a 24-1 record in 2017. The program has also sent a number of players to top Division I programs.

This year, the Alcatraz swim kicked off a seven-day West Coast trip training in pools all over California for up to five hours at a time.

“Yeah, we have a pretty aggressive schedule,” Schiller said. “They have to [arrive to camp in] swimming shape. When you watch water polo, it kind of looks smooth and effortless up top. But underneath, that’s where all the action is. It’s chaotic. The legs are going crazy, and there’s a lot of grabbing going on and wrestling because it is a contact sport. So leg conditioning is crucial, and we’ll be doing that in our first few pool sessions, with this swim to kick it off.”

Schiller paused and added:

“If they’re not in shape from all of this, they will be.”

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