Canada's largest and longest open water swim returns to Okanagan Lake this weekend for it's 76th year. The annual Across the Lake Swim is a 2.1 kilometre race across Okanagan Lake from West Kelowna to Kelowna.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Across the Lake Swim
July 17, 2024 - 4:34 PM
Canada's largest and longest open water swim returns to Okanagan Lake this weekend for its 76th year.
The annual Across the Lake Swim is a 2.1 kilometre race across Okanagan Lake from West Kelowna to Kelowna.
“We are thrilled to welcome participants from around the world to challenge themselves to swim across Okanagan Lake and cross it off their bucket list. Many participants are first time swimmers and it is tremendously rewarding to see them fulfill their personal challenge," event director Peter Rudd said in a media release.
Over 1,000 participants are expected to take part in swim which begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, at the end of Old Ferry Wharf Road in West Kelowna and ends across the lake at Hot Sands Beach in Kelowna's City Park.
It takes approximately two hours to complete the swim.
Swimmers in the competitive category wear a timing chip around their ankle to keep track of their race time. The chips automatically records the time as swimmers crosses the finish line. The top three female and male winners will get medals.
Event relations director Keri Baranieki said they do it to raise money for kids.
“Through our partnership with the YMCA Southern Interior of BC, we have donated over $166,000 to send over 20,000 3rd graders for free swim lessons," she said in the release. "We look forward to sending even more kids for free swim lessons as we expand our events throughout BC.”
Whether participants are new to the event or experienced, they challenge themselves to this race every year.
“I first did the swim across the lake last year. I did it to prove to myself that I can still be competitive after suffering severe blood clots that have left my left leg damaged. My leg fatigues easily now, but with swimming, I don't notice it as much because swimming is a whole body exercise,” Josh Van Klei said in the release.
For more information about the Across the Lake swim go here.
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