A fundraising swim across Lake Nipissing that was postponed and cancelled because of the uncertainty over COVID-19 has been rescheduled.
Hamilton’s Marilyn Korzekwa will be swimming 28 km, without a wetsuit and without any rest sometime between September 1st and 5th.
The actual day will depend on the weather.
All donations from the swim will be going to NADY to assist the Nipissing Trackers special ski program.
The swim was originally supposed to take place in July and Korzekwa even visited the Trackers in February, but then everything changed.
“All of a sudden, bang, the virus hit the pandemic hit and we were going back and forth and she couldn’t do any of her swims in any of the pools to start training for it and even the beaches were closed”, says co-spokesperson Anne Taylor.
She also says on top of a fundraiser, this event will help create awareness for the Trackers.
Taylor says they typically need ski volunteers, but also want to let parents know about the program.
Korzekwa’s swim will start from Campbells Bay near the French River and wrap up at Marathon Beach in North Bay.
It’s expected to take 14 hours or more to complete.
Co-spokesperson Rick Taylor says this will be quite the unique swim, and it will be sanctioned by Solo Swims of Ontario.
“It hasn’t been done before, there’s been people that have swam to the Manitous and back, but nobody has ever swam 28 km across Lake Nipissing,” he says.
Taylor notes that Korzekwa has already done a 20 km trial swim in southern Ontario, which was needed in order for this event to be sanctioned.
Officials want boaters to know the swimmer will be with a floatation of two boats and a few dinghies to help direct her across the lake.
“You’ll see the flotilla, try to slow down so there won’t be as many waves to impact the swimmer, think safety, try to steer clear of it,” says Anne Taylor.
Follow the swim at: www.swimwithmarilyn.blogspot.ca
To donate: https://www.nady.ca/

(file photo taken by station staff)

Filed under: lake-nipissing, marilyn-korzekwa, nady, swim