JULY UPDATE: We are three days out from the BIGSWIM and I'm very excited. The weather forecasts is promising a hot and sunny day, with maybe a bit of wind so I'm mentally preparing for some waves. I have ginger Gravel packed and Kharim has put together a fabulous mix of nutrition and snacks (the standard electrolyte drinks, gels and gummies with an a just-in-case bottle of Coke and Turtles. :) Training has been going really well, with the last month consisting of early morning training with a fast gang at the Waeg, which re-energized me when things were starting to feel monotonous. With a bit of speed training under my belt, I completed a 3km Swim NS race on the 18th and was over the moon that I was under 50 minutes. My home support team--Steve and Justin--will be taking care of the animals while we are away. And my travelling support team--Kharim, Molly, Diego and Levi--will be hitting the road with me on Friday. Kharim and I will be in safety briefings on Saturday while the others whoop it up at Magic Mountain before our pre-event lasagna dinner at the East Botsford Recreation Centre. Sunday morning, we're all on deck. Kharim and I on/in the water and Molly, Diego and Levi doing their part as BIG HELPERS welcoming swimmers and kayakers as we all arrive on the PEI side of the bridge. I'm looking forward to it all. Let's go! :)

JUNE UPDATE: Through the generous donations I've received and the metres I've swum, this thing is starting to feel real! Wednesday is my distance day which has been easier to complete because of my steadfast training buddy Janet Wetmore. :) We've done 7km, 8km, 9km, and 10km distance days. Next week we'll tackle 11km and then decide how much more we need to do  before holding steady and then a taper leading up to the big day. The focus in the next few weeks will be lake swimming. My first few open water swims have been a much warmer experience than I was expecting. And it was great to practice in just a tiny bit of choppy water. Ready to tackle even more!

MAY UPDATE: I'm happy to report my training is going well. I've done a few long swims now, the latest being 6km last Wednesday. A few of us are gearing up for 7km this week so that will get us to the halfway distance (albeit in warm, flat pool water). There's some talk of lake swimming soon, but I will probably hold off until the end of the month, or early June. So far, it's been a lot of fun and your support has helped me maintain the momentum! :) 

I am fundraising in support of Brigadoon Village! Help me send kids to camp!

I have been eyeing this event since it started over a decade ago when I was living in Ottawa. I had very small children at the time and wasn't swimming very often. 

About two years ago I was able to get back into a regular swimming routine with an informal group a the Halifax YMCA and the Halifax Chronos Masters swim team. I've reconnected with old friends and made new ones. 

I'm excited (and nervous) about the swim across the Northumberland Strait, but inspired by the Give to Live campaign to raise money for Brigadoon. I was a butterflyer and distance freestyler as an age group and university swimmer, but I have only done a handful of open-water races over the years. 

My husband Kharim will be my kayaker and, as a triathlete training for his own big events this year, one of my many training buddies. I'm thrilled that a bunch of people have already offered to do lake swims with me, especially because I'm not a huge fan of cold water. I'll likely need a few friendly nudges to make the transition outdoors this spring. :)

Thanks so much for visiting my BIG SWIM page! 

Brigadoon's Mission: Brigadoon Village passionately transforms the lives of Atlantic Canadian children and youth living with health conditions and other life challenges to help them reach their full potential through experiential learning, meaningful connections and exceptional fun. 

Brigadoon's Vision: Giving extraordinary kids a chance to be ordinary.