the great lake swim
Move for Life Foundation’s first active challenge was unique, exciting, and a difficult challenge that was a huge success! In August 2021, one of our board members Jillian (Jill) Best successfully swam across Lake Ontario!
Jill had been putting in countless hours in the water, for over a year, to prepare for an attempt to swim across Lake Ontario in August of 2021! The swim began in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and was completed once she touched the wall in Toronto, at Marilyn Bell Park. This is the traditional route that was first swam by 16 year old Marilyn Bell in 1954.
The distance from one point to the other, is 52km! (or 32 miles, or just over 5 marathon swims in a row!)
It took a team of 13 people and one determined marathon swimmer to complete this swim in 18 hours and 36 minutes! Jill endured varying factors such as currents, waves, wind, and even drastic water temperature changes. All of these variables were out of anyone’s control and contributed to the difficulty of the swim.
During the swim, Jill wore just a bathing suit, a silicone cap and goggles, and was unassisted by any other person, flotation device, boat or swimming aids.
That being said, it was essential for the 13 person crew to ensure safety of this endeavour.
On board the boats making the trip with Jill, we had the pilot, a swim master (someone who ensures the swimming conditions are safe, and this person has swam the Lake Ontario crossing themselves), a doctor, dietician, pacers, kayaker and Jill’s husband.