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One, two, three, four ...Brad Snyder managed to block out every next thought, every painful memory, every unwritten plan, and remain focused on the revolving numbers in his head.24, 25, 26, 27 ...With every long, powerful stroke -- the thrusts he learned as a child growing up in Florida, polished as captain of the Naval Academys swim team, and brought back to life while winning five gold medals at the last two Paralympics -- Snyder kept his mind concentrated on pulling his body to a shoreline hed never see.56, 57, 58, 59 ...Even before losing his eyesight in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan six years ago, swimming in chilly ocean temperatures didnt come naturally to the Gulf Coast native. So Snyder stayed locked in on his numbers Sunday morning, counting each stroke as he churned through the treacherous 2.1 miles from Alcatraz Island to a sandy beach just east of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.79, 80 -- one, two ...Since going blind, Snyder has learned that it usually takes about 40 strokes to swim from one end of a 50-meter pool to the other, so he did his math and concluded the swim from Alcatraz to Crissy Field would require approximately 30 sets of 80 strokes. When he heard a mile remained in Sundays swim, he figured he needed another 15 sets of 80.So he began counting.I break things up like that in my mind, just so I can have a perception of progress, he said.Snyders successful completion of Sundays swim is the latest sign of progress for the 32-year-old former Navy seaman.An explosive ordnance disposal officer on his second tour of duty, Snyder had his life altered Sept. 7, 2011, when he ran to the aid of some locals who had been severely injured by an improvised explosive device and Snyder stepped on another IED concealed nearby.Remarkably, his injuries were mostly confined to his facial area, but he lost sight in both eyes. Snyder spent 60 hours in a medically induced coma before awakening to a world of permanent darkness.He continued his recovery at a veterans hospital in Tampa, Florida, where he also began relearning lifes basic functions, tasks previously as routine as putting the right amount of toothpaste on his brush.His rehabilitation also took him back to the water, where he quickly discovered his injuries didnt prevent him from swimming -- just safely navigating through a pool. Four months after his injury, Snyder was recruited for the Paralympics, an event he never knew existed before he lost his eyesight.Never unwilling to test his limits, Snyder decided to give the event a try. One year to the day after his injury, he won the second of his two gold medals in London. He also won a silver there.He returned to the Paralympics this summer in Rio de Janeiro and took home three more golds plus a silver, and he broke a 30-year-old record in the 100 freestyle in his visually impaired class.When asked to participate in the Alcatraz Swim for Sight, which benefits the support foundation of the UC San Francisco Ophthalmology Department, Snyder immediately knew his involvement would be a great way to help the cause while also testing his swimming abilities in a different way.He spent a restful Saturday night in Fishermans Wharf and then joined about 100 others on a half-dozen boats that took them to the edge of Alcatraz, a maximum-security federal prison from 1933-63 that is now a tourist attraction. The rock island was considered an ideal penal location because the cold temperatures of the San Francisco Bay, powerful currents and distance from the mainland made it nearly impossible for prisoners to escape.Slipping into his wet suit, climbing aboard a military-style Zodiac boat, and feeling the saltwater mist spray over the bow and onto his face reminded Snyder of his days performing dive operations for the Navy.It made me feel kind of grounded to my past, he said. It allowed me to have some fun with it.Guiding him through the swim was Jill Dahle, whose sister was treated for a rare eye disease at UCSF when she was a child, and lead swimmer Bryn Lewis. Snyder and Dahle knew each other professionally but had never swum together.While waiting on the pier for a boat to take them to Alcatraz, Snyder showed Dahle the 3-foot bungee cord that would tether them together side by side. They briefly discussed the basics of their buddy system and then followed their instincts in the water.Brad is a beautiful swimmer, Dahle said. I breathe to my right, so I saw him every stroke. It felt very harmonious several times as we were taking strokes at the exact same time. ... Just being able to see that, I felt fortunate.Snyder had dipped his toes in the water prior to diving in but was still relieved by the 60-degree ocean temperatures. He had been told to expect conditions closer to the mid-40s.That wasnt all that was optimal on Sunday for open-water swimming. The sun was shining on their backs, the currents were mild, no obstacles (such as floating kelp) arose, and the only marine life in the area was a small group of sea lions lounging on the buoys. (Great white sharks have been spotted near Alcatraz.)A really unique case in which all of the conditions were in our favor, Snyder said.The most jostling Snyder felt was about a half-mile before the finish, but even those swells were more annoyance than hindrance. When they were a few hundred yards from the beach, Dahle gave Snyder a tap on the shoulder. Snyder initially thought she was letting him know theyd finished, but he quickly realized a short distance still remained.That was perfectly OK with Snyder.It really didnt feel that long. It felt like 20 minutes, he said by phone after completing the swim in just under an hour. Thats kind of indicative of it being an enjoyable time.Snyder said hes ready to take a step back now that the open-water swim is concluded. He has done a triathlon in the past but isnt sure if thats something he wants to pursue full time. The next Paralympics are still four years away.I dont know whats next on the horizon, he said. I really want to take some time off to allow my mind to not be thinking about Rio, or what event I have to do, or all these other things. ... Id love to enjoy some spare time, let my mind wander, let me ask those difficult questions. Who am I? Who do I want to be, and what do I want my contributions to society to be? Is it to remain in sports? I definitely think changing it up will be fun.Let the next countdown begin.Wholesale Rockets Jerseys . Goals from Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller extended Bayerns unbeaten run to a record 37 matches. "This record is incredible," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. DeAnthony Melton Jersey . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. http://www.cheaprocketsjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-vincent-edwards-jersey . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. Cheap Houston Rockets Jerseys . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. Cheap NBA Jerseys . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No.Yet another week of discussing Cris Cyborg Justinos weight will culminate in a 140-pound catchweight bout against Lina Lansberg on Saturday at UFC Fight Night in Brasilia, Brazil.Justino remains the 145-pound Invicta FC featherweight champion, but she has been forced to cut to 140 pounds for her two UFC appearances because the promotion does not have a 145-pound weight class.It doesnt have a 140-pound weight class, either, but lets not get off topic. Justinos weight has been covered extensively leading up to this fight, as it always is. Now its time to talk about the fight itself.Lets take a closer look at the Brazilians sophomore UFC appearance as well as a few other matchups on the card. Dont agree with these picks? Let me know on Twitter: @bokamotoESPN.Main eventCris Justino (15-1) vs. Lina Lansberg (6-1) 140-pound catchweight Odds: Justino -1275; Lansberg +825The word mismatch comes to mind.Its pretty well documented by now that Justino is a shark swimming in a pond of 145-pound minnows. The division just doesnt exist within the UFC, so its difficult finding this woman a fight (let alone a competitive one). Until one of the UFCs top 135-pounders finds it in her best interest to fight Justino, were going to see matchups like this. Theres nothing wrong with Lansberg, but shes in way over her head -- stylistically and physically.Lansberg, 34, is a former professional kickboxer out of Sweden whose MMA career is less than 4 years old. She has done a nice job of playing to her strengths through seven pro fights, although all have come against a weaker level of opposition than what shell see this weekend. Her nickname is Elbow Princess, and its hard to understate how much she loves throwing them bows. They are her weapon of choice anytime shes within a certain range.Where does she hold an advantage against Justino, though? The answer might legitimately be absolutely nowhere. Shes bringing elbows to a knife fight. Justinos right hand lays waste to everything it touches, and very quietly shes getting more efficient with it. Her clinch striking matches up perfectly fine with Lansbergs, especially when you consider the size difference. Justino is skipping meals and taking birth control just to make 140. Lansberg is a 1135-pound fighter.ddddddddddddAlthough we tend to expect a standup showcase out of Justino, she has a major grappling advantage here as well. If she wanted to take this to the floor and finish it via ground and pound, theres not much evidence that suggests she couldnt.If were searching for something that might play out in Lansbergs favor, it would be the drastic weight cut for Justino. You add up the weight cut, the emotions of fighting at home, the fact so many of her fights end within the first minute -- usually that adds up to a gassed fighter. But even though her UFC debut was quick (81 seconds), Justino showed a lot of composure for such a big moment and very little wasted energy. And shes such a workhorse in the gym (she has to be; burning calories is one of the main requirements when she fights at this weight) that cardio has never been a major issue. Surviving and hoping Justino gets tired might be a game plan ... but its probably not a very effective one.Lansberg has been very impressive at times during her career, particularly inside that clinch -- but again, the level of competition wasnt the same and her overall skill set is not on par with Justino. She also hasnt displayed a ton of knockout power, which lessens the likelihood of that punchers chance all fighters have.Prediction:?Lansberg will be a lamb led to the slaughter. Justino via KO in 55 seconds.Featured fights:Renan Barao (33-4) vs. Phillipe Nover (11-5-1), featherweights The Barao we used to know may be gone forever. A few holes have been exposed and its fair to question where his confidence is at this point. He should have enough to win this, though. Prediction: Barao submission.Roy Nelson (21-13) vs. Antonio Silva (19-8-1), heavyweights Two hard hitters with plenty of miles behind them. One of them has a granite chin. The other does not. Prediction: Nelson KO.Paul Felder (12-2) vs. Francisco Trinaldo (20-4), lightweights? Trinaldo has won six in a row against quality opposition. Hell get in the face of Felder, who has had issues in the past of not pulling the trigger. This is a tossup. Prediction: Felder TKO. ' ' '