Bullock, Cummings reign on first time swimmer wins fans during Dwight Crum Pier to Pier race
by Paul Teetor The big digital clock at the finish line of the Dwight Crum Pier to Pier race read 1:36 when Brooke Nojina of Hermosa Beach half-walked, half-stumbled through the narrow trailway to the holding pen just north of the Manhattan Beach pier. When she was about 10 feet up the fenced-in trail, her two children, Kainoa and Keina, excitedly ran up to greet her. “Mom, mom, congratulations,” son Kainoa yelled, trying to catch her attention. “You made it. You finished the race.” Then he proudly let slip a stunning revelation. “She just started swimming seriously a few months ago,” he confided. His sister chimed in: “We’re really excited and proud of her.” For her part, Brooke, 42, a bit woozy after her herculean effort, said it was a dream come true. “I just wanted to finish the race,” she said. “I can’t believe I actually did it.” She had started training for the 2.2 mile race a couple of months ago at the urging of some swimming friends. She had been doubtful that she could swim the 2.2 miles from the Hermosa Pier to the Manhattan Pier without the fins she got used to during her early training sessions. But when she finally completed a practice pier-to-pier swim without the…
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