A Twinkling In The Eye Leads To Loch Ness Crossing
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. Helen Beveridge has every reason to not be able to complete a 37 km crossing of Loch Ness in Scotland.
The mother of three children (ages 12, 14 and 15) works as an environmental manager for a construction company. Both responsibilities could give the 48-year-old pause before training for and attempting a crossing of deep famed 23-mile loch in the Scottish Highlands.
Along the way, her shoulders turned blue and then her upper arm all the way down to her elbows went blue. Hypothermia could have been another reason to stop in the water temperature that ranged from 12.1°C (53°F) at the start in Fort Augustus and “warmed up” to 14°C (57°F) at the finish in Lochend on August 1st.
But she soldiered on. Stroke by stroke, mile by mile until she came onshore 18 hours 22 minutes after her start at 5:47 am.
What was her motivation? She told BBC News, “You always think you see something out of the corner of your eye.”
Copyright © 2016 by World Open Water Swimming Association
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.
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