Happy Thanksgiving!

Well I certainly have a lot to be thankful this past year.  Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect and express gratitutde to those in our lives. 

My family has been a HUGE support to me over the past year, although they do not always understand me they are passionate in their support.

The crew, many of whom I only met a few short months ago, has been so patient and dedicated to the swim.  I am truly in awe of their commitment to the cause.  It is their dedication that pushes me through the water. 

SEALS Swim to Survive fans and followers, you are so important and integral for the success of the message.  You are the doers who can implement best practices at your facilties; you can put preventative meaures in place at your homes; you can take your kids to learn to swim together; you can chose to stay safe in and around the water; you can spread the message and be influencial in others lives.  We can all be the face of change by taking the proper steps to educate ourselves and our loved ones.  Prevention = Life!

Future SEALS Swimmers, I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting some young swimmers this summer who have been following the progress of the swim! I am so thankful to have their support, and to be an inspiration to those who inspire me!  Our future lies in the youth of today.   I wish them all the best as they grow and become influencial people in our communities.  I love the saying "it takes a village to raise a child".  Let us all make wise choices for our children, and keep our communities safe!

Over the next year I will continue to post tips about water safety, training progress and lake crossing information so please check back in!

 

2014 Lake Huron crossing date to be announced!

Funds raised to date...

Thanks to you we have raised $6,061.00 to date for Swim to Survive training!

 

Did you know with funds raised so far just over 200 children will receive FREE Swim to Survive life skills!

 

 

 

Stay tuned for more to come on SEALS Swim to Survive!

25 km Lake Huron Shoreline Swim - August 5th 2013

A successful completion!

Due to rough waters the night before we experienced a delayed start on Monday August 5^th; our crew assemble approximately 1 km off shore from Bayfield to start the swim to Goderich at 7:00am.   It was a brisk summer morning, air temperature far below average, and water temperature fluctuating between18-21 degrees Celsius (66 – 69 degrees Fahrenheit).  Throughout the swim I took 12 feeding breaks and had my core temperature read 4 times.  I completed the 25 km solo swim shortly after 2:00 pm, with a recorded time of 7 hours 5 minutes.

I am an advocate of being safe and responsible in and around the water, given the set of circumstances I had in front of me I had to make a responsible decision.  I am happy to say that although we didn’t complete a Lake Huron crossing this summer, no one’s lives were at risk at any point during our shoreline swim.  Our captains and crew gained valuable experience to make our crossing in 2014 that much more successful!

 

 

75 km Lake Huron Crossing UPDATE

I have been preaching over the past 6 months "know your abilities, know the dangers" this weekend I have to take my own advice.

It has been a year worth of planning for the 2013 SEALS Swim to Survive Ultra-marathon Solo Swim Across Lake Huron, this season's weather and water conditions have not been favourable for our scheduled dates & back up dates.

The swim is to promote drowning prevention which includes the responsible planning and action to keep safety first for swimmers and boaters alike.

Knowing my abilities and the imminent dangers countered with limitations to re-assemble all boats and crew on our 5th attempt to reschedule, the decision has been made to postpone the Harbor Beach to Goderich crossing to 2014.  

The Captains and Crew have been outstanding throughout the roller coaster we have been on.  We have amazing people that all want to be part of a successful event to promote safe and responsible water and boating practices. 

With the excitement still arise our boaters and crew have committed to an altered plan which will have the SEALS Swim to Survive Team complete an Ontario shoreline swim from Bayfield to Goderich (25 km) on Monday August 5th, 5:00am start time with an anticipation of reaching Goderich beach by 2-3pm in the afternoon to waive our Lifesaving Society flags proud of a right and responsible decision.

We all look forward to a more favourable Lake Huron in 2014!

Sincerely,

Lesley Burton Zehr

Safety tips for Open Water Swimmers...

Thinking about getting into open water swimming or even triathlons?  The link below has some basic safety tips all open water swimmers should follow.  Remain safe to live another day to conquer another goal!


http://swim.isport.com/swimming-guides/safety-tips-for-open-water-swimming

New swim date: August 3-4

The BIG swim is coming! 

This past weekend Mother Nature was not approving of a lake crossing, so we are back to preparation mode in order to gear up to our execution this weekend August 3 - 4!

KMF!  Keep Moving Forward!

REVISED SWIM DATE!

Due to thunderstorms and high winds predicted for this coming weekend on Lake Huron, the SEALS Swim to Survive ultra-marathon swim has been postponed until August 3 - 4, 2013.

Throwing Assists & Reaching Assists

When planning a trip to the beach, make sure you equip yourself with a few items that could be the difference in the event of an emergency.  Below are some suggestions for throwing and reaching assists to take with you.

Throwing Assist - a buoyant object you can throw to a swimmer in distress to aid in their ability to stay above the water
- PFD (personal flotation device)
- flutter board
- water noodle

Reaching Assists - an object you can throw to a swimmer in distress and while maintaining a grasp on the other end pull the person to land
- rope
- towel
- tshirt
- paddle

Know your abilities and your children's abilities before entering the water.

Make sure you are familiar with your surroundings before you head into an open body of water.

Make sure someone else knows where you will be swimming.

Don't assume you will have cellular phone reception at all beaches, if you don't how would you get help if needed?

PREVENTION = LIFE

Count down is on....

Sunday July 21st was our crew get together training day.  A beautiful afternoon in Bayfield, our Swim Master is impressed with our crew, captains and vessels!  The training day was an important day for the captains to meet and assign tasks to their vessels, review zodiac operations with lifeguards/boat operators, and go over my "wants" out of my pacers!  Like any journey mapping out and review safety is first and foremost!  Of course we ended the session with some delicious food :)

Thanks to all involved for a successful day and a happy Swim Master!

 5 days to go!

Increased Number of Drownings at 1/2 way point of summer 2013

Please take the time to read the below article from Baraba Byers, Public Education Director of the Lifesaving Society.

Alarming increases in drownings already this year, read the statistics.

See the Lifesaving Society's Water Safety Message.


http://www.lifesavingsociety.com/media/158359/98ndpwreleasejuly2013.pdf


These deaths ARE preventable, let's start making a difference!  Educate yourself and your loved ones.

Lifejackets SAVE lives

It is estimated that 80% of victims in boating deaths are not wearing lifejackets (Lifesaving Society).

Education and action can save these lives.

Wear your lifejacket!

THANK YOU! RE: Waterloo Service Centre Open House

A huge Waterloo WAHOO to my colleagues for putting on another fantastic Service Centre Open House on Satuday June 15th.  SEALS Swim to Survive was honoured to have a booth at the open house and take part in the festivities as well as spread the message about our cause, drowning prevention.  A HUGE thank you to colleagues and residents for your generous donations through the  BBQ!  Also, to my dedicated volunteers Wil, Shanna and Jaclyn!

June 11th Practice

Practicing in the pool and doing dry land training is no comparison to being in the open water!  Nature has a way of consuming me and putting me at ease.  The 48 degree water was face numbing, but that didn't stop me from getting a 1.2 hour workout in.  The morning was drizzly and very foggy.  The water was calm and cold.  Just me and the geese taking a swim along the shore line.

How to Donate!

Interested in learning how to get involved or donate? Contact Lesley at sealsswimtosurvive@gmail.com or go to the Lifesaving Society website, click "Donate Now" and choose the "SEALS Swim to Survive" Fund/Designate - thank you for helping us educate children about water safety and providing them with essential survival skills!

http://www.lifesavingsociety.com/donate.aspx

http://london.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=938252

May 24 - Victoria Day long weekend

Happy Mother's Day weekend!  I hope everyone is able to spend some time with their loved ones this weekend.

As we are quickly approaching Canada's kickoff to summer - Victoria Day long weekend (May 18-20) I would like to stress the importance of staying safe in and around water! 

Be prepared. 

If you are boating, make sure you and your 2 legged and 4 legged friends wear their lifejackets.  And don't drink and boat!

If you are opening your pool, make sure you don't leave children or pets unattended in or near the water.

If you are setting up a pool, make sure all 4 sides are fenced and closed with a self closing latch.

If you are swimming in open water, be aware of hypothermia the waters are still very cold!  And don't drink and swim!

The start of the season requires reminders for young and old.
If you see something unsafe - speak up!  Correct the action or alert someone who can. 

Prevention = Life

Listen to The Talk Show with Bryan Allen on May 15th at 11:00am AM 920 CKNX for more water safety awareness and drowning prevention tips!

Each year, many children drown in backyard swimming pools and in small kiddie pools.

As the nice weather approaches and we have beautiful spring days such as today our thoughts shift to outdoor pool openings.

Each year, many children drown in backyard swimming pools and in small kiddie pools. This can be cause of danger for children as they like to play in water; move quickly; and can drown in only a few centimeters (1 inch) of water.

Why are these drowning occurring? Sometimes the pool is not fenced in all the way around; sometimes the gate to the backyard is not shut all the way or locked; sometimes a young child gets to the pool through a patio door or garage door that opens into the backyard.

Safety Tips from Health Canada include:
- Check with your town or city to find out the rules for putting up a fence around your pool.
- Build a fence and a gate that will keep children away from your pool.
- Keep the gate locked at all times.
- ALWAYS have an adult watching children in and around the pool.
- Children under the age of 3 and children who cannot swim must wear a life jacket or PFD (personal floatation device).
- Send children to swimming and water safety lessons.
- Make sure lifesaving equipment and a first aid kit are handy.
- Take a course on pool safety, first aid and lifesaving skills (such as CPR).
- Have emergency phone numbers listed at the telephone closest to the pool.
- Make sure toys, garden furniture and tools are not near the pool fence. Children can climb up on these things to get into the pool.

Prevention = Life

It is important to keep all members of your family safe in and around water, K9 911 reminds us that most dogs do not know how to swim. If your dog falls into deep water, its center of gravity is what will make them sink almost immediately when they get tired. Take precautions such as don't play around fast moving water; put a lifejacket on your dog if you are around deep water or boating; work on obedience so you can recall your dog if they tread into difficult water - thanks K9 911 for the advice.

Friday Funday Reminder!

Reminder: with the mixed weather and spring on the verge, stay clear of walking on/near waterways. The ice is thinning and the water beneath is moving quickly! 

Avoid accidents from happening, keep your kids and pets safe!

Prevention = Life

Water activities should be fun!  Like my Friday Funday workout - I love my Friday swim workouts!  A day after a full body strength workout the water feels like jello; every scull and kick is pronounced.  A strong 3 x 1000 m swim today just managed to squeek this quick one in today.

Tonight I looking forward to seeing you aquatic pros at the Lifesaving Society's AGM in Kitchener!  

What did you do on your lunch break?  Today was a spin and abs workout for me!

"Like" SEALS Swim to Survive on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sealssoloswim

Today's 6am spin class was a race to the top, lots of climbs, and it felt great!  Also snuck in a deltoid workout, bring on the shoulder muscles!

Did you hear the interview with 101.7 The One today?

If you are interested in supporting SEALS Swim to Survive please let me know!  There are many ways people can help :)

A question I receive frequently is "why"; why are you doing this swim; why are you doing this distance...

My why is because I believe I can use my skills to be able to promote learning how to swim as a life skill for our communities.

My passion for swimming and abilities in the water give me the confidence to take on Lake Huron.  Lake Huron is where I grew up, whether it was on the beach in Goderich, Kincardine, Port Elgin or Sauble, I loved the water and am passionate about Ontario's West Coast.  My reason for becoming a lifeguard and swim instructor (at age 16) was so I could enable others to have as many fun experiences in an aquatic environment as I did growing up. Now, I have the ability to give back to my community in the best way I know how, which is sharing my knowledge of water safety so our families can learn how to safe guard themselves and prevent drownings from happening.  My swimming and lifeguarding skills have connected me with many communities across Ontario, I look forward with reconnecting with old ties to promote drowning awareness and to raise funds to be able to offer FREE Swim to Survive training to children.

What a way to start a week, a 6 km swim followed by a radio interview!  Motivation for the rest of the week... I think so!  Trying to upload the interview for you to hear.  Stay tuned!

ONLINE DONATIONS UPDATE:

Donations raised by SEALS Swim to Survive ultra-marathon swim will go to the Lifesaving Society’s Swim to Survive program to provide free water safety survival training to school-aged children.  Thanks to our friends at the Lifesaving Society, you can now donate online!

 

Click on the below link

Then click on the "Donate Now" button

Then choose the Fund Designation "SEALS Swim to Survive" (7th on the list)

 

http://www.lifesavingsociety.com/donate.aspx

 

 

Well it has been a busy last couple of weeks.  Lots of dry land training and got back into the City of Waterloo, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex pool this past week (after a 2 week shutdown), brrrr a little chilly with fresh water but hey I better get used to it :)

Happy to announce our first boat and boat owner jumped on board!  As well, my Uncle Jon has joined us for paramedic services!  Am so thankful to have such great people in my life.

A lot of my inspiration comes from reading.  Which has helped me with so many aspects of my life.  My latest inspiration came today from a quote by Robin Sharma:

"Inspire us with your Audacity. Enlighten us with your Creativity. Uplift us with your Humanity. Move us with your Originality. Elevate us with your Mastery. Make today unforgettable. Because we all need you to shine."

Thanks to my fellow colleagues at the City of Waterloo, Community Culture and Recreation Services for checking into the blog!  I really appreciate your support and hope you continue to follow SEALS Swim to Survive as we progress over the forthcoming months into the big swim!

Please share the site with others to help spread the word about how important learning about drowning prevention is.  Especially working in the recreation field, we all know how swimming and water related activities are a great outlet for people, let's encourage the education and awareness around staying safe too!

Well today was back to the gym, and there is nothing like leaving a workout feeling it has been one of the best yet!

This evening was a relaxed 5km run, followed by a 30 minute full body weight workout!  Not sure where my  rotator cuff muscles have gone over the years :(  but I am positive with workouts like today's they will be back in no time!

Now it's stretching time while snuggling with the pups and watching a little hockey!  Go Leafs Go (that's for you Coach Wil).  Resting up for a big cardio day tomorrow.

What's your favourite cardio workout?

After a long day at the office today, I am turning my mindset over to the SEALS Swim project.  My thoughts today are about (drowning) prevention, and steps we as parents can take to decrease our family's risk of a drowning related fatality.  In such a fast paced world it is easy to get caught up in the madness and forget what is most important.  Now is no time to put a child's life at risk because you didn't have the time to think ahead.  Stay in the game, so you can play it for years to come.

Some of my thoughts about prevention include:

- Knowing our abilities and our children's abilities.  What training do we have in case an accident happens? What training do our children have?  Do they know how to survive a fall into deep water?  How would they react if a fall happened?  How would they react in the event of an emergency?  Knowing your's and your child's limitations will set your boundaries, and will dictate where further education is needed.  Remember you are investing in your family's future.
- Knowing our surroundings.  Is this water familiar to us?  If not, what dangers may be there (under tow, currents, drop offs).  Do we know the pool?  Is it deep enough to dive?  Is it supervised?  Where do we go in the event of an emergency?  Is there a phone?  Is help close by?  Knowing your surroundings should be the first check you do when you arrive at your destination.  Look for signs, ask others, are there others around (if not, why not?).
- Knowing the situation.  What, where, when, why?  Are we entrusting our child with another adult, if so have they been informed of your child's abilities and limitations?  Do they know what to do in the event of an emergency?
- Talk about situations and emergencies openly with children.  Whether it is talking about fire safety, talking to strangers, or drownings, children need to be prepared for potential real life emergencies.  Does your child know how to call 911?  Do they know their phone number and address?  Do they know the location of where they are swimming or going to camp?  Do they know where the lifeguard is, or where their adult supervisor is?  Learning about emergencies will prepare them to be able to prevent accidents before they happen or react quickly if they do happen.

Learning how to swim is a life skill.

Prevention = Life

Today was an exciting day for SEALS Swim to Survive ultra-marathon swim across Lake Huron.  Today the swim was added to the Solo Swims of Ontario aspirants list for 2013!

Training this winter is going well.  I am training Monday - Friday, a combination of cardio-endurance, both in the pool and on land, and strength training in the weight room.  

At this time my training schedule is setup around my work schedules and goes a little like this:

Monday 6am spin class and noon 1-1.5 hour swim
Tuesday noon or 5pm strength training
Wednesday 6am spin class or 45 minute run and noon 1-1.5 hour swim
Thursday noon or 5pm
Friday 6am spin and noon 1.5 - 2 hour swim

And I still get lots of outdoor cardio with the dogs, both at home and at work!

I am becoming more and more tech savy through this whole process.  Now that I have figured out blogging, I will begin updating you with my training, ways you can help support the cause, and upcoming events!

I love answering questions, so fire away!