Sjamsir Sjarif

Santa Cruz stories: Sjamsir Sjarif – Swimming is his life, one lap at a time
By Ann Parker – Sentinel correspondent
As is his birthday custom, Sjamsir Sjarif will swim 74 laps on his 74th birthday, April 18. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)

On April 18, Sjamsir Sjarif will once again celebrate his birthday by swimming his age: one lap for each year. That means 74 laps this year, more than two miles. It’s a ritual he has performed on every birthday since he turned 47.

But it’s much more than just exercise.

“I’m not just counting laps,” Sjarif says. “I’m reviewing my life.”