CA Boy, 14, Becomes Youngest To Swim Length Of Lake Tahoe

LAKE TAHOE, CA — A 14-year-old from the Golden State became the youngest person to swim the entirety Lake Tahoe this month. He's also the youngest to complete the lake's Triple Crown.

James Savage, a Los Banos resident, completed the record swim — 21.3 miles — on Aug. 1, adding to an already impressive resume of open water feats.

Last year, Savage became the youngest to complete the 12-mile "Godfather," which starts on Tahoe's west shore and appeared in the movie "The Godfather: Part II." He swam the 10-mile "Viking" route that runs through the southern portion of Lake Tahoe and also swam from Alcatraz to San Francisco at 8-years-old.

Savage told the Associated Press he prefers swimming in open water over pools.

"Open water, you can swim in oceans, lakes, and you get to travel around," he said.

His mother, Jillian Savage, was a kayaker for his latest record swim and said her biggest fear was that he would give up after a few hours if the journey became too monotonous.

"It’s not like he can sit and talk to us when he gets bored. His face is in the water and so really, he’s by himself," Jillian Savage said. "But this time, he kept telling me, 'Mom, I feel so much better mentally prepared this time.’ And he went out, and he just did such a great job."

Savage aspires to one day swim the length of the English Channel, KCRA reported.

"I want to thank my mom because she’s always been here needed it and if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be out here," Savage told KCRA.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.