While Vancouverite Ann Meraw broke one record for swimming non-stop without a wetsuit from Kelowna to Penticton in 32 hours, 12 minutes in 1958, she wasn’t the only one to swim to the shores of Penticton that day.
In fact, seven and a half hours earlier, 19-year-old Pat Wicks swam the same 57.3 kms in 29 hours and 36 minutes, said local triathlete Steve King, who is well known as Penticton’s announcer/emcee at most South Okanagan racing events like Ironman.
After reading the Western News article about Meraw’s achievement, King wanted to make sure every record-breaking swimmer got their accolades.
READ MORE: Woman who swam the lake in 1958
In 1989, Penticton’s Andrea Dobrik, who was 18 at the time, shattered Meraw and Wicks’ times in swimming from Kelowna to Penticton in 15 hours and 47 minutes — knocking a massive 13 hours and 49 minutes off the record.
“Congratulations go out to all three of these amazing female ultra-distance swimmers,” said King.
He also pointed out that two days after finishing their record-breaking swims in 1958, both Pat and Ann were introduced to Princess Margaret at Penticton Airport.
Many have attempted to swim the entire length of the lake since then. Waves and wind make the undertaking difficult.
The current Guinness Book record holder of a wetsuit swim across the entire Okanagan Lake is held by Adam Ellenstein, who completed the feat in 2016.
The American completed a 105-kilometer swim in an unofficial time of 40 hours and 47 minutes.
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