girl with Down syndrome swam to her dream. I'm very, very happy about that.. Terms of Service apply. I did a lot of other things and I started swimming, she said. She says she still can't believe she raised so much. Check out their website, A challenging 3.1km or 7km swim in pristine Okanagan Lake, between Peachland and rattlesnake Island. Starting in 1949, the swim was once used as a rite of passage for local swim clubs and was a major part in the Kelowna Regatta. Swimmers complete a 2.1 km swim from the Old Ferry Docks in West Kelowna to Hot Sands Beach in City Park Kelowna. While the "soft" time limit for the swim is 120 minutes, staff at Across the Lake say its usually ok if it takes a little longer, but if the conditions warrant it, after that time they may need to extract you from the lake and give you a free ride to the finish (with no finishing time, of course). The swim features a choice of two distances, either 2.5KM or 5KM, in a stunning swimming area in Okanagan Lake, West Kelowna. The YMCA Okanagan Swims Program was created in 2012 to help drown-proof our kids. You can donate and help Stamhuis reach her goal by visiting her fundraising page. Kelownas annual Interior Savings Across The Lake Swim is the largest and longest continuously running open water swim event in Canada. I applied, and I was accepted. Theyve finally found why, Massive waves clear two-storey condo in Hawaii as huge swell rolls in, 21 teens who died in South African tavern all had toxic methanol in blood, Doctors say health system has collapsed as patient surges fuel ER closures, After 2 years in a coma, U.S. woman wakes, names brother as attacker, Historic Hawaiian waves crash into 2-story condos, video shows, Business News: Fallout of Bank of Canadas latest interest rate hike, Bidding wars a thing of the past in Calgarys once hot housing market, Complainant cross-examined in sexual assault case of former Vancouver Canuck, Patient laying on Drayton Valley hospital ER floor prompts call for change, ER closures, wait times impacting essential care for Canadians, 1,300 participate in 71st annual Across the Lake Swim, Kelowna celebrates 70th annual Across the Lake Swim, Coronavirus: 2020 Across the Lake Swim cancelled because of COVID-19. Also included is our award winning beach towel, a numbered event cap, an event bag, finish line food, insurance, a bus ride to the start line, photo booth at the finish line and the thrill of swimming across Okanagan Lake. Automated electronic timing and your results posted online. A Swim Buddy is a small inflatable float that is becoming popular at open water swim events. At 90 years old, the Kelowna woman plans to take on the 2.1 kilometre Interior Savings Across The Lake Swim for the seventh time. This being the 74th edition, of the Across The Lake Swim makes it the largest and longest-running open water swim event in Canada and Stamhuis will be the first 90-year-old to take it on. At 90, Conny Stamhuis will be oldest to participate in annual 2.1-kilometre cross-lake trek. Read more: The Interior Savings Across the Lake Swim Kelowna is the largest and longest running open water swim event in Canada! All participants are bused to the start line which is included in your registration fee. To date, the event has donated over $145,000 and sent over 16,000 kids to swim lessons. She will complete the 2.1 kilometres across Okanagan Lake to raise money for Doctors Without Borders/Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF) and hopes to raise $10,000. Our famous award-winning stylish beach towel. NO REGISTRATION ON EVENT DAY! The end is always difficult if you swim competitively, to just get there, but I had gotten this far, it was just a matter of being able to move forward Everything was with me, I had Lady Luck on my shoulder all the way.. Get all the day's most vital news with our newsletter, sent every weekday. When I retired from nursing, I used to be an RN, I wanted to join them and I was accepted and, unfortunately, it didnt happen, she said. We usually sell out well before the swim date! At 90 years old, Conny Stamhuis successfully completed the swim once again. While everyone is welcome to join in on the fun, an event like the Across the Lake Swim takes a bit of preparation. I think, if I can, this is my chance because I couldnt go with them 25 years ago, she said. 
It was the sixth time she's completed the swim. It would be special for a 90-year-old to swim the lake, I know. Its also the last existing event from the early Kelowna Regatta days. in Historic Peachland, BC, August 6, 2022, Brought to you by the Across the Lake Swim Society. Conny Stamhuis is swimming the Across the Lake Swim to raise money for Doctors Without Borders/Mdecins Sans Frontires (photo: Warren Henderson). Developing the skills to be an efficient swimmer, the fitness to swim continuously for 40-60 minutes, the experience to handle a wide variety of open water conditions and the mental fortitude to swim in deep water. Whoever says retirement is for slowing down has clearly never met Kelownas Conny Stamhuis. To prepare, she swims with OMSC three times a week and has already started doing practice swims across Okanagan Lake. The swim starts at the Old Ferry Wharf in West Kelowna and ends at Hot Sands Beach in City Park, Kelowna. In August 2018 it was cancelled on the day for each of Saturday and Sunday due to excessive smoke and unacceptable health risks to athletes and spectators alike. Solely funded by the Across the Lake Swim Society, we donate funds from our events to run the program. Gellatly Bay is an incredibly scenic swimming spot, with a wide pedestrian pathway that follows the swim route on the final legs. The same team who runs Canada's largest However, my husband, who hadnt quite entered the 20th century yet, was upset. It was not until retirement, with a little nudge from her son Michael, that she started swimming once again. She trains three times a week with a local swim club, though she acknowledges that the currents and waves of Okanagan Lake are a challenge that cant be mimicked in a pool. Access KelownaNow using your Facebook account, or by entering your information below. Anyone wishing to support her can do so via the Canada Helps website. Funky souvenir swim cap for all finishers. Support local journalism by clicking here to make a one-time contribution or by subscribing for a small monthly fee. Hundreds of swimmers took to the water at the old ferry docks on the west side of the lake, and finished at Kelowna's Hot Sands Beach in City Park. Launched in 1949, the Interior Savings Across the Lake Swim Kelowna is billed as less a race and more a challenge and a standard for young and old, newly minted swimmers and seasoned racers. In 2012 at the age of 80, Stamhuis swam it for the first time and has not looked back since. Read more: Visit their website, Contact us for information on joining our club, upcoming events or simply to say hello. She wants to raise $10,000 for Doctors Without Borders, a cause thats close to her heart. She moved to Canada from the Netherlands in her 20s, studied nursing in her 40s, started swimming in her 60s, and swam for the first time across the Okanagan Lake in her 80s. At 90, Stamhuis is poised to become the oldest person to participate in Canadas largest open water swim, the Interior Savings Across the Lake Swim, in July. MSF is an international humanitarian medical organization that aids those in conflict zones and countries affected by endemic diseases. While the swim itself is an incredible accomplishment for those of any age, Stamhuis was most excited about raising more than $16,000 for Doctors Without Borders blowing her goal of $10,000 out of the water. 
It reads, All deaths before 120 are premature.. The event is usually held towards the end of August each year. 
It was wonderful, it was beautiful for all those people to be there, but for me, I swam for Doctors Without Borders and for me to raise enough money was the most important thing, she said. But after she got pregnant and life happened, she stopped swimming, and didn't pick it back up again until she was 65 years old. We appreciate your consideration and any contribution you can provide. While all in good fun, profits from the event go towards funding YMCA Okanagan Swim Programs for children from Peachland to Lake Country. Its Canadas largest and longest-running open water swim, and its right here in Kelowna.
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