Senior marks 75th birthday with charity swim across Osoyoos Lake

Putting on her cap and goggles, 75-year-old Ingrid Nicholson is celebrating her birthday in an unconventional way, by swimming 11 kilometres across the entire Canadian stretch of Osoyoos Lake.

“Two years ago I decided I’ll do it when I’m 75,” she said.

Nicholson enlisted the help of her friends to drive a boat and to be her spotter.

She’s been swimming two hours each day for four days, her last day being Friday.

“She’s a very strong swimmer out in the water, very strong, and I mean she’s determined, she’s going to do it,” said spotter Carrie Wyness.

“We have a GPS and I know how far we’ve come and at the end of two hours we mark the spot with a camera or a good location and she can start out the next day in the same place,” said Jim Sale, who is driving the boat.

But Nicholson isn’t doing it just because she likes a good challenge.

She is raising funds for the Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre which offers programs like Better At Home.

“We drive seniors to the seniors centre or to the hair dresser or to the doctor appointment and I love it,” said Nicholson, who has been a volunteer with the organization for the past five years.

Nicholson has already beat her fundraising goal and raised $3200 while inspiring others with her drive and passion.

“She’s my role model! I use to say Oprah Winfrey was but now Ingrid is and I hope to be somebody that can live up to that kind of inspiration,” said Desert Sun Executive Director Roxie Van Aller.

Van Aller said programs for seniors rely heavily on community donations.

“The Better At Home program is really vital and key to the communities here in the south because we have a lot of seniors that live here,” she said.

The ambitious senior said age is just a number, although it’s been no easy feat.

“It’s been challenging, it’s not like eating a cake”!