“
Give me a gel pack,” yelled Lexie Kelly to her escort crew with a steely resolve. “
If you are going to leave me, I want a gel pack.”
In the middle of the 34 km Traversée Internationale du Lac Memphrémagog, Kelly’s escort boat engine kept on having trouble and stalling. She would swim and swim and then be all alone when the boat stalled. But this has not stopped the pros from moving on and the 26-year-old American was no different.
Things happen in the open water and engine problems are one of the many possible variables.
Kelly just wanted to be prepared if she had to swim alone without her crew. “
I am putting this gel pack in my suit .” Not knowing when her next feeding would be, she swam off with an emergency security boat in tow.
After stalling repeatedly in the rainy, stormy conditions, the Traversée’s mechanic was called out on the race course and completely refitted Kelly’s boat with a new engine: right in the middle of the race, right in the middle of lac Memphremagog. Meanwhile, the security boats surrounded Kelly to ensure that safety remained paramount.
But when worse comes to worse, the open water swimmers put their head down and just keep moving forward.
Copyright © 2013 by
World Open Water Swimming AssociationSouthern 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.
Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.Latest posts by Steven Munatones
(see all)