I swim some, often with this crazy gang.

In August 2016 I swam across Lake Ontario, beginning at Queens Royal park in Niagara-on-the-Lake and finishing at Marilyn Bell Park in Toronto. The swim is sanctioned and ratified by Solo Swims Ontario. Shaun Chisholm was our swim master. My open water mentor Madhu Nagaraja led our fantastic team on the water. The swim was part of our ongoing efforts to raise funds and awareness for our Great Lakes.

Here are some of my swims over the past few years:

• Lake Ontario: NOTL-Toronto (51km, 18hrs 35min 08sec, 22C)
• SSO Trial Swim, July 2016: Burlington Beach to Oakville (18.5km, 5hrs52m, 17C)
• SF Bridge-to-Bridge 2015. 1:24:05.8 (skin, tide assisted, 10km, 21C)
• FINA Masters 3k 2014. 0:47:22.2 (skin, flat water, 3km loop)
• Boston Light Swim 2014. 3:28:13 (skin, open water, 13.1km, 15C)
• Elma Couture 10k 2013. 2:37:13 (skin, flat water, 2.5km loop)
• LOST 10k 2012. 3:03:37 (skin, rough water, 3.3km circuit)
• English Bay Challenge 2012. 2:54:45 (wetsuit, open water, 9.1km)
• Eton 10k 2012. 2:20:45 (wetsuit, flat water, 2km loop)

Some friends and I also do cold water swimming here in Lake Ontario, mostly at Coronation Park in Oakville, and at Burlington Beach. Sometimes we team up with other friends here in Ontario, who seem to be at least as crazy as us!

I take great inspiration from my friends and fellow swimmers, a humbling list that includes such extraordinary people as Marilyn Bell, Lynne Cox and Natasha Brooks, inspirational groups like the South End Rowing Club, the Marathon Swimmers Federation, and our own LOST, and remarkable organizations like Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, one of many groups around the world working tirelessly to defend our shared heritage in the world’s lakes, oceans, and waterways. To this end, Madhu and I founded the Great Lakes Trust to support science, art, and advocacy for our home waters.