For the first 17 years of his life, Fasica Alemayehu lived and swam competitively in Ethiopia. But in 1986 his family left the country seeking a safer and brighter future. While he never stopped loving Ethiopia, San Francisco — and eventually the Dolphin Club — became his adopted home.

Fasica tells us about the challenges of immigrating to the city as a young man, how he found his way back to the water during Covid, what music means to him, and the community he treasures at both China Beach and the Dolphin Club.