Just keep swimming.
That’s what the contestants did at the 75th annual Across The Lake Swim on Saturday morning, July 15.
Hundreds of swimmers started in West Kelowna and swam 2.1 kilometres across Okanagan Lake, reaching the finish line at Kelowna’s City Park, where they were met by hundreds of people cheering them on.
The competitive racers started the race all together just before 8 a.m. while contestants who weren’t racing (but were still timed) started a few minutes later.
Out of the competitive racers, a couple teenagers stole the show as 17 year old Octavio Macedo Vasconcelos Gu finished first with a time of 25:48. Holly McNamara, the first woman to finish, came in third with a time of 26:56. Brent Hobbs, in the age 50-59 category, finished in second place at 26:29.
Jessica Deglau was the first non-competitive swimmer to finish, beating some racers with a time of 28:14.
A legend in the province, former Vancouver Canuck Trevor Linden also competed in the event and finished with a time of 39:36. He’s a regular at this event, having taken part for a few years in a row.
The youngest swimmer was 10 years old while the oldest was 84 years old. One racer who took part came all the way from Houston, Texas.
Because it was the 75th annual event, the person who finished in 75th place also received a prize.
As the swimmers took on the challenge, more than 200 volunteers and Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR) members were on boats, kayaks, and canoes to help the racers if they needed it. Members of Westbank First Nation rowed the boat that helped guide the contestants to the finish line.
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