When youB次元官网网址檝e been dropped into open water in the dead of night somewhere in middle of the Salish Sea, there is no time to doubt yourself.
Or give in to the B次元官网网址淐-word.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not that cold,B次元官网网址� says distance swimmer Cheyenne Furlong Goos. B次元官网网址淢y body temperature regulates, IB次元官网网址檓 already used to the cold waterB次元官网网址ou just push through it.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淐oldB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渇reezingB次元官网网址� are unspoken words for the Spirit Orcas B次元官网网址� a group of Greater Victoria swimmers with varying developmental disabilities. The group is working their way up to swimming the English Channel B次元官网网址� but the next stop in their journey is in the Great Bear Rainforest.
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Coach Susan Simmons B次元官网网址� an accomplished marathon swimmer who lives with multiple sclerosis B次元官网网址� worked with some of the athletes during her role as a trainer for the Special Olympics. She says many of the swimmers werenB次元官网网址檛 being challenged enough, and soon began coaching a small group of six athletes interested in trying out endurance swimming outside the pool.
The Spirit Orcas were born.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no reason that we shouldnB次元官网网址檛 challenge people with disabilities,B次元官网网址� Simmons said. B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 life-changing for them. For most of their lives theyB次元官网网址檝e been told, B次元官网网址榊ou cant do this,B次元官网网址� and for someone to turn around and say, B次元官网网址楬ow can I help?B次元官网网址�
They have a lot more confidence in themselves and they feel more respected and heard and valued.B次元官网网址�
Members Cheyenne Furlong Goos, Dixon McGowan, Drew Sabourin, Maria Sharock, Ben Vanlierop and Aly White meet three to four times a week for training.
And the group has made some incredible achievements already B次元官网网址� including swimming the length of Cowichan Lake in 2018 B次元官网网址� the same distance as the English Channel.
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Now the swimmers are heading north to swim a 25-kilometre relay through the Gunboat Passage near Bella Bella - Heiltsuk territory in the Great Bear Rainforest B次元官网网址� the teamB次元官网网址檚 first major swim in the ocean.
After that milestone, the Spirit Orcas will swim the Strait of Georgia between Sechelt and Nanaimo where the water temperature B次元官网网址� about 9 to 11 degrees B次元官网网址� is similar to what they will experience in England.
When theyB次元官网网址檙e ready, the team will head to Dover and swim the channel B次元官网网址� front-crawling and butterfly stroking from England to France.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 amazing to see how [the Spirit Orcas] have embraced this and how devoted they are to what they do,B次元官网网址� Simmons said. B次元官网网址淚magine you have an anxiety disorder and you are placed in open water in the middle of the oceanB次元官网网址B次元官网网址檝e watched them tackle one fear after another.B次元官网网址�
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For Simmons herself, MS never stopped her from distance swimming B次元官网网址� in fact sheB次元官网网址檚 swam over 100 kilometres collectively since her diagnosis.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 because people around me believed I could do it,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲hen we think about people with disabilities and how we can help them B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 by believing in them.B次元官网网址�
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help raise funds for the Spirit OrcasB次元官网网址� journey to the Great Bear Rain Forest. Visit to make a donation.
nina.grossman@blackpress.ca
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