A swimmer cuts through the water in the 2013 English Channel qualifying swim.
Image Credit: Angelique Duffield
August 03, 2013 - 11:30 AM
VERNON - Five Okanagan swimmers are overseas in Europe braving the English Channel.
They call themselves the Okanagan Lake Monsters, and will be swimming the 35-kilometre route (45 kilometres in strong ocean currents) as a relay team.
The team is made up of Mike Stamhuis (Canadian Masters record holder and chief administrative officer for District of Coldstream), Phred Martin, Denise Cesselli, Tracey Sutton and Leora Dahl.
Swimmers hit the water in Dover, England and finish near Calais, France. The best and safest window for swimming the channel is between July 29 and August 7. The waters have claimed lives before, including that of a 34-year-old British woman earlier this month.
The Lake Monsters are raising money for the YMCA's Y Strong Kids Campaign, which gives children and families the opportunity to participate in sports.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca, call (250)309-5230 or tweet @charhelston.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013