By David Jablonski

Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD — The quote inscribed on the base on the Statue of Liberty — “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” — wasn’t meant to describe swimmers attempting to circumnavigate Liberty Island, but it sort of fits if you can imagine trying to catch your breath in the choppy waters.

Four local high school students joined more than 400 swimmers Friday in the Statue of Liberty Swim, a 1.2-kilometer swim counterclockwise around Liberty Island. For Tecumseh seniors Chris Ward, Alexa Adams and Morgan Mumma and Graham junior Kassidy Randall, it was nothing short of an amazing experience.

“It was crazy,” Ward said. “The current was so strong in some parts. It was weird. You just look up and you see the Statue of Liberty right in your lap.”

“It was weird seeing the statue from the water,” Adams said.

Ward finished the race in 142nd place in 24 minutes, 45 seconds. Adams was 87th overall and second in her age group in 22:42. Randall placed 94th and third in her age group in 22:48. Mumma was 151st in 25:10. The top finisher had a time of 14:40.

The swimmers had to qualify by swimming a mile in under 35 minutes, which they did at the Huber Heights YMCA. They also prepared for the open-water swim at Kiser Lake in Champaign County, but Ward said, “I don’t think anything really prepares you for it.”

The Statue of Liberty Swim is part of a series of open-water swims in New York. There’s also the Manhattan Island marathon swim (28.5 miles), the Governors Island Swim (2 miles) and the Brooklyn Bridge swim (1 kilometer).

Of course, everyone questioned the swimmers about the water. Was it dirty? Was it safe?

“We didn’t see any dead bodies,” Ward joked.

The water was in the low 70s, and swimmers were guided by floating orange buoys.

“When we got in the water, it was exactly the same as Kiser Lake,” Randall said. “It wasn’t dirty. The biggest difference was it was salt water. It was so much fun. I absolutely loved it.”