Swim Across the Lake

The Across the Lake Swim started in 1949. This year they told us with 450 people swimming it has now become the largest open water races in Canada(maybe even N.A.).
For my first time, there were so many unknowns. First of all, I train in a pool 99% of the time. I did get out and swim in a few lakes and tried the training clinics that were offered. I had a few times of uncertainty days before the swim just figuring out details of who was going to canoe with Ray beside me in the water, should I have bought a ticket for the ferry ride?....details, details...

As it turned out, I bought a ticket to be ferried over with many other swimmers. This was my first house boat ride....another check off my life dream list...(or does a 5min ride really count??). As the boardroom boat reached the Old Ferry Docks on the far side, swimmers lined up and began jumping off either side of the boat. The boat left to pick up another load of swimmers as we swam to the beach and began waiting.


The swimmers all gathered and listened to the announcer give tips of were to sight. He said, "this is a 2.1km swim, but many of you will make it more than that if you let the current take you towards the bridge"...sadly he was right for many people.












As the time got closer, Ray and Karl in the canoe found their way to the far side as well. I swam over to met them and we talked about how we were going to keep track of each other. I had borrowed a ribbon from Kyla to tie to my wet suit. In the sea of neoprene there were some people swimming with balloons tied to themselves and others made the boats they were with have the markings needed to find each other.

The swim began in open water rather then on the beach. Two bright orange boys marked the starting line. Heat one (Yellow) was counted down and set off, 2minutes later heat 2 (Orange) set off, and exactly 2mins later they counted down my heat (Blue) and we were off....450 swimmers - approx. 150 in the last heat. At first there was a sea of feet and splashes but as we set off we seemed to find the lake big enough....yet, as I neared the 1/3 of the way mark, I had one person swim underneath me to pass at the exact same moment a women decided to crossover me. The feeling was like no other. To be in open water thinking we all had room to move and all of a sudden you are reminded there are 450 people with you. I came up and looked around only to discover my amazing canoers were following the wrong person. It must have been at the same moment that they realized the person they were following was not me. We found each other and continued in no time. As I swam through the middle section it began getting a bit more wavy. I worked myself through. Just as I felt a big wave coming I heard Ray calling me and he told me a boat had just passed. By this time I could see the finish line for the first time and just kept going. I was O.K.

While I train in the pool I am busy counting and keeping track of the number of laps. In the open water there is nothing to count and not much to see. To keep my mind busy I thought myself through memory verses. I also tried singing in my head. At one point, I even tried my son Mark's tip to say "Pepsi, Cola, Seven, UP" it sort of works for strokes and breathing but after a few times (just to tell him I tried) I was back to reviewing my verses. It was great to keep my mind on something else.

As the finish line came closer into view it was all of me just to get there as fast as I could.

Ray got my attention to leave and go beach the boat and he was just in time to catch me running to the finish line and hand in my time chip.

My goal was to complete the race this year....just make it across

My second goal was to complete it in 45mins....I finished at 41 minutes and 28 seconds.

YEAH FOR ME!!

A huge- HUGE-HUGE thank you to Wally and Trudy for taking our kids for the night. It was amazing to know they were taken care of and didn't have to be up and downtown at such an early hour. If you look closely at this picture you might even find Wally in the crowd. It was great to have them and the kids in the crowd cheering. Also, thanks to Bill and Evelyn for being there as well.

Another huge thank you to Ray and Karl for being there in the lake along with me. I might not have seemed like I needed you there, but just knowing that you were made enough of a difference to me. Hearing you ask if I'm alright in the lake, I knew I could make it. I realized this was my goal, I just didn't realize how much family I needed to actually complete the goal.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALLOWING MY DREAM TO COME TRUE AND ENCOURAGING ME ALONG THE WAY.