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Amateur to tackle Lake Ontario crossing ‘one stroke at a time’
Kingston Whig Standard
By Jennifer Pritchett
August 11, 2003
Local News - With just one day left before he begins his historic crossing of the deep, cold waters of Lake Ontario, John Munro is pumped and ready for the swim of his life.
The retired Toronto police officer, who lives on Amherst Island, is eager to plunge into the waters off Sackets Harbor, N.Y. early tomorrow and begin the 56-kilometre swim.
If he completes it, he will become the oldest amateur swimmer ever to complete the crossing.
Munro, 52, isn’t out to set any records. Instead, his focus is on raising about $80,000 for the Kingston Family YMCA and for sports programs for children with disabilities.
“That’s about $2,000 raised for every nautical mile,” said Munro.
His marathon swim for charity is expected to take about 27 hours. He is expected to arrive at Kingston’s Confederation Basin around noon Wednesday.
“I am breaking the swim down into little steps – otherwise it is little overwhelming,” he said.
Munro, who is married to former marathon swimmer and world record holder Vicki Keith, is not daunted by the challenge he faces.
“It all boils down to one stroke at a time,” he said.
“I will stop every couple of hours to eat and to interact with my crew. They will energize me.”
Training several hours a day since September for Tuesday’s mega-swim, Munro said he’s been mentally preparing for the marathon swim, including visualizing himself in the water.
So by the time he leaves his hotel and takes the three-minute walk to the shore in Sackets Harbor at 7 a.m. tomorrow, he will be prepared.
He just hopes the weather will be good.
“An unpredicted thunderstorm could come up quickly,” he said. “I could get 80-per-cent done and then have to stop.”
“Weather is my biggest concern.”
The crossing of Lake Ontario is considered to be one of the most difficult swims in the world, due to the distance, cold water and currents.
Despite those conditions, Munro isn’t permitted to wear a wetsuit or any insulating gear, according to the regulations of the Solo Swim Association of Ontario, the governing body that oversees marathon swimming.
“I’m entitled to my swimsuit, bathing cap and goggles,” he said.
“Part of the challenge is to battle the elements.”
Keith, who is the first and only person to swim across all five Great Lakes and is the holder of 14 world records, helped her husband train and will paddle a kayak beside him as he swims.
Tomorrow’s swim follows close on the heels of another mega-swim five weeks ago, when he swam across Lake Erie in nine hours and 35 minutes.
That swim and the Lake Ontario crossing are collectively called the Y Knot Marathon.
People interested in making a donation can call the YMCA or they can call Munro’s hotline at 546-2647. Donations can also be made at Confederation Basin between 10 a.m. and noon on Wednesday.
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