LOS BANOS, Calif. (KFSN) — At just 12 years old, James Savage has accomplished more in open water swimming than most people will in their entire lives.
“I pretty much swim for a living,” Savage said while sitting on a dock at Los Banos Creek Reservoir. He trains there five days a week starting at 5 a.m. During the school year, he then heads to class, has a break after school lasting an hour or so, then hits the pool.
Some days he’s in the water for six hours. Savage first grabbed headlines when he swam to Alcatraz and back, becoming the youngest person to do so at age 8. He’s been hooked ever since.
“Yes, he’s a busy kid,” said his mother, Jillian Savage. “He said, ‘When’s the next one?’ So we took him to the next one, and the next, and the next, and now we’re here every day.” You can usually see Jillian paddling a canoe next to James as he swims, providing him with food and water to keep him fueled.