Hundreds challenge themselves in Kelowna’s Across the Lake Swim

Swimmers emerge from the water and run onto the sandy beach in celebration, having just completed the 2.1-kilometre feat of swimming across Okanagan Lake.

“I think it’s just kind of a bucket-list item that people really enjoy and really want to do,” said Kari Baranieski, event relations director of Saturday morning’s Across the Lake Swim Challenge.

The first swimmers took off from the Old Ferry Docks in West Kelowna at 7:50 a.m. From then on, more groups were given the chance to participate in the swim.

Sandra Arthur from West Kelowna completed the swim in 38 minutes and 40 seconds.

“It went great. There was a bit of a current, there was a current about the last 800 metres,” said Arther, who is also a Swim Squad ambassador for the Across the Lake Swim.

The Swim Across the Lake Challenge attracts people of all ages who are looking to push themselves to the limit, including 84-year-old Aldert Dykstra, who completed the swim in 45 minutes and 12 seconds. Dykstra says that he has completed multiple swims and athletic challenges over the years and wants to be a good example for others.

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“I want to show that even old people can do it,” Dykstra said.

Challenging herself for the first time, Sage Cowan completed her Across the Lake Swim in 37 minutes and 51 seconds and says she’s this year’s challenge won’t be her last.

“I was a competitive swimmer for 18 years, so this is in my wheelhouse,” she said.

“The first half I just stayed strong. Then, when I hit what I thought was the middle point… I picked up my kick.”

Every year people travel from across Canada and from outside our borders to participate with 1,100 other swimmers. For locals, however, this is a treasured tradition.

Nicole Kraft from West Kelowna has taken part in 12 Swim Across the Lakes events and this year completed the course in 36 minutes.

“It’s a great challenge, it’s a good reason to get my butt in the pool to get a little training and I get to see all my swimming friends that I only see at swimming friends who I only see at this swimming event,” Kraft said.

This is the 76th annual Across the Lake Swim in Kelowna and the event has now expanded to other cities in the Okanagan. The next event takes place Aug. 3 in Peachland where swimmers can challenge themselves to swim from the shore to Rattlesnake Island and back again.