RESTORATION POINT — Noah Barfield’s concerns about coming up short in the “Crossing for Kids,” swim across Puget Sound came true, unfortunately.

Barfield was done after three miles, in a race that stemmed from Restoration Point on Bainbridge, to Alki Beach, near Seattle, due to exhaustion.

“I got about a half mile to shore and I just ran out of steam,” he said. “It was a good swim, but I just hit a wall.”

Barfield said his training took a hit when he recently sprained both of his ankles as he was hanging off an inversion table.

“That was kind of stupid of me,” he said. “I had to ice them and take it easy for a little bit. I probably should have done some pulling and spent more time in the pool, but it was (still) a good swim.”

The inaugural “Crossing For Kids” swim was put on to benefit Junior Achievement, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping young people learn more about business and free enterprise. The 3.5 mile swim started at 10 a.m. at Restoration Point near Bainbridge Island and finished at Alki Beach in Seattle.

More than 70 swimmers participated in the event, raising over $175,000.

Fellow Poulsbo residents J.B. Goessman, Jay Stemmler and Carry Hull also participated in the 3.5 mile swim. Goessman said he had been training since June by himself and with the Poulsbo Pirahnas, an all-age team based out of the North Kitsap Pool.

“The conditions were pretty good,” he said. “There was a little chop towards the end, but it was really nice.

“I did OK, but like everyone else was saying, it was so different than pool swimming,” he continued. “You train like crazy for this and you think you’re ready to go, but when those waves hit, you can’t get into a rhythm. But everybody is in the same boat.”

Goessman will try to get some more swimmers from Poulsbo to participate in the swim next year. If that doesn’t happen, he’ll see if he can get on a team from Bainbridge Island.

If nothing else, it was a nice way to spend a Saturday.

“It was gorgeous out there,” he said. “I tried to get my family out there, but you can’t get everything.”

Barfield, who will teach mostly freshman English at Bainbridge High School this fall, said he will “possibly” try the swim again next year. He recently resigned from his position at North Kitsap High School this past spring when the Bainbridge position became available.

But even though he didn’t finish, he doesn’t regret participating in the first place.

“It was a lot of fun and I got about three miles of swimming in, so it was a pretty good workout no matter how you look at it,” he said.