Dartmouth resident nearly completes 25th Buzzards Bay Swim

Nancy Smith, 86 of Dartmouth, was halfway to the finish line during her 25th Buzzards Bay Swim on June 20 when safety boats started getting the swimmers out of the water due to unsafe conditions. 

The Buzzards Bay Swim is a 1.2 mile race from Cisco Brewers in New Bedford to Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven that fundraises for the Buzzards Bay Coalition. 

It all started in 1999 when Smith ran into Rhea Teves Cate at the New Bedford YMCA, who told her about the race. 

Smith started swimming in the Buzzards Bay Swim in 2000, at age 60. She started because she loved to swim for her health and enjoyment, and figured she might as well help the environment at the same time.

The safety boat that told her to get out of the water had three other swimmers, who chose to take the risk and complete the race. She chose to head back to shore rather than risk her safety to complete the race. 

Smith has been swimming since she was a child. Her father fished out of New Bedford for almost 40 years, who gave her two pieces of advice: “number one: always respect the water, sweetheart! And number 2: If you can’t see the bottom, don’t jump if you can’t see where you will land.”

Thinking about those words, she decided to head ashore rather than complete the race. 

“My prayer over these years is always the same.  Please, Lord, get me to the other side! Not that side! I mean, Fort Phoenix,” Smith said. “Well… my prayer was answered. I did get to the other side with help.”

Her husband, Howard, was glad she decided to not complete the race. He welcomed her back by saying, “This is the last one!”

“Howard … is and has been [my] number one supporter through all years of the swims,” said Smith. “He asked me to reflect on the fact that the decision to get out of the water and into the boat because of weather conditions was not mine.”

She wants to participate in the swim next year, but promised her husband she would not. 

“I told Howard I would not. I may have to sign up under an alias.. tell no one, ask for no donations and make my own donations in cash,” said Smith. “We’ll see how prepared and healthy I am.”