By Paul Bucci, special to Black Press Media
After almost nine hours of swimming in 9 C choppy waters, Susan Simmons has halted her attempt to swim across the Strait of Juan de Fuca after developing hypothermia.
Simmons B次元官网网址� an ultra-marathon simmer with multiple sclerosis B次元官网网址� dove into the waters off Ogden Point Saturday, Aug. 18 at 1 p.m. expecting to be in the water for 24 hours for the 66-kilometre journey from Victoria to Port Angeles.
Here's Susan swimming with ease at the first ever attempt of the double crossing of the JDF strait. Follow her journey at
B次元官网网址� msathlete (@MS_athlete)
Roughly 15 km in she felt her head go numb, just shy of the American border.
B次元官网网址淪ometimes in life itB次元官网网址檚 honorable to fail because safety always comes first,B次元官网网址� Simmons said Sunday. B次元官网网址淚t takes more courage to fail then it does to succeed in some cases.B次元官网网址�
Simmons explained she started her swim with a strong stroke and good progress, but the ocean was colder than normal, with temperatures she thinks were driven down by the thick cloud of smoke hovering over the province as a result of the wildfires.
B次元官网网址淲ater is just coming in all directions,B次元官网网址� Simmons said of hitting the area of the strait known as the B次元官网网址渨ashing machineB次元官网网址� where wind and waves collide. B次元官网网址淵ou can never really find a rhythm in your swimming, and and youB次元官网网址檙e tossed all over the place, again and again.B次元官网网址�
The MS Athlete had hoped for a second attempt at swiming the strait B次元官网网址� she was successful last summer B次元官网网址� after tide and winds delayed her adventure twice, earlier this month.
Simmons uses the cold water swims to manage her MS and as a way to spread the message of resilience, strength and awareness of the disease.
B次元官网网址淪usanB次元官网网址檚 story is amazing, itB次元官网网址檚 exciting,B次元官网网址� said Marilyn Bell, the first athlete to swim Lake Ontario in 1954. B次元官网网址淪he has a powerful message, and swimming is her platform to deliver that.B次元官网网址�
In 2017, the Victoria-based Simmons, who trains at Cowichan Lake, was named one of the World Open Water SwimmingB次元官网网址檚 WorldB次元官网网址檚 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women.
In a series of tweets posted Saturday evening, Simmons and her team said, B次元官网网址淭his is the longest Susan has ever swam in water this cold. She is being treated [en] route to Victoria.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲e are so proud of her!B次元官网网址�
Next up for Simmons is a relay through Lake Cowichan with her Special Olympic swim team, followed by a 26-mile swim in solidarity with an MS marathon in Detroit, Michigan in October.
- With files from Paul Bucci
