Ignorance Was Bliss; Wisdom Was Welcomed By Kim Dyke

Steven Munatones 04/30/2021 open water swimming No Comment

Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

At the 30 km Sylvan Lake World Series Marathon Swim held in Alberta, Canada in August 1992, there were 12 future Honor Swimmers in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame competing: Diego Degano, David O’Brien, Greg Streppel, Attila Molnar, Christof Wandratsch, Claudio Plit, Igor de Souza, Shelley Taylor-Smith, Silvia Dalotto, Suzie Maroney, Maria-Louisa Cabanero, and Irene van der Laan.

It was not an easy swim, but newcomer Kimberly Dyke (née Boyd) from Canada finished second to Taylor-Smith who was in the peak of her career. At the urging of her coach Ron Jacks, Dyke entered her first swim in lac Memphrémagog in Québec at the age of 19. The Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame – that inducted her in 1997 – described her swim as an example of “ignorance is bliss.”

Dyke took that 25 km race and transformed her career where she was named Swimming Canada’s Open Water Swimmer of the Year in 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995.

But that 1992 Sylvan Lake World Series Marathon Swim was very difficult. Dyke’s Canadian teammate Shannon Brown said, “The race was very hard. I wasn’t very cold, but I was just glad to finish.” Taylor-Smith who had been battling bronchitis agreed, “It was a tough day as I had anticipated. The guys went out really fast and swam a great race and [had] a real fast time.”

Argentina’s Diego Degano who won the race said, “It was so cold, especially at the beginning. After five hours I was so tired, but I think David was tired too.” Fellow Hall of Famer David O’Brien of Australia concurred, “I was feeling pretty tired and I had cramps in my legs, but in marathon swimming it is one of the pains you have to go through.”

Canadian Greg Streppel who finished behind Degano and O’Brien commented on the conditions, “After Diego passed me, I was more concerned who was behind me than who was in front of me because I was in such bad shape. The cold was something I didn’t expect coming here.”

But Dyke, now a registered nurse in Victoria, hung on against an all-star field.

1992 Sylvan Lake World Series Marathon Swim Women’s Results:
1. Shelley Taylor-Smith (Australia) 6 hours 46 minutes 5 seconds
2. Kim Dyke (Canada) 7 hours 6 minutes 8 seconds
3. Rita Kovács (Hungary) 7 hours 11 minutes 6 seconds
4. Giselle Roy (Canada) 7 hours 14 minutes 6 seconds
5. Annie Grandisson (Canada) 7 hours 24 minutes 37 seconds
6. Shannon Brown (Canada) 7 hours 28 minutes 11 seconds
7. Silvia Dalotto (Argentina) 7 hours 40 minutes 23 seconds
8. Suzie Maroney (Australia) 7 hours 54 minutes 12 seconds
9. Maria-Louisa Cabanero (Spain) 7 hours 57 minutes 26 seconds
10. Irene van der Laan (Holland) 8 hours 8 minutes 41 seconds
11. Christiane Fanzeres (Brazil) 8 hours 18 minutes 41 seconds
12. Anita Sood (India) 8 hours 37 minutes 56 seconds

Boyd (née Dyke) traveled the world for years, especially active between 1992 and 1995:

In July 1990, she finished 3rd overall (2nd woman) in the 25 km Traversée internationale du lac Memphrémagog in Québec, Canada in 5 hours 47 minutes 6 seconds at the age of 19.
In July 1991, she finished 7th in the 42 km Traversée internationale du lac Memphrémagog in Québec, Canada in 10 hours 43 minutes.
In February 1992, she finished 4th in the 56 km Maratón Santa Fe – Coronda in Santa Fe, Argentina in 8 hours 43 minutes 12 seconds.
In June 1992, she finished 5th in the Riviera Marathon in Alassio, Italy in the combined time of 12 hours 59 minutes 38 seconds.
In July 1992, she finished 5th in the 42 km Traversée internationale du lac Memphrémagog in Québec, Canada in 10 hours 41 minutes 1 second.
On 10 August 1992, she finished 2nd in the 30 km Sylvan Lake World Series Marathon Swim in Sylvan Lake in Sylvan, Alberta, Canada in 7 hours 6 minutes 8 seconds.
In January 1993, she won the 16 km race in Manly Dam in Sydney, Australia in 3 hours 28 minutes 18 seconds.
In February 1993, she finished 4th in the 56 km Maratón Santa Fe – Coronda in Santa Fe, Argentina in 8 hours 55 minutes 50 seconds.
In June 1993, she finished 3rd in the 35 km Riviera Marathon in Savona, Italy in 8 hours 29 minutes 14 seconds.
In July 1993, she finished 2nd in the 42 km Traversée internationale du lac Memphrémagog in Québec, Canada in 10 hours 48 minutes 19 seconds.
In August 1993, she finished 3rd in the 40 km Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean in Québec, Canada in 9 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds.
In August 1993, she finished 3rd in the 34 km Around The Island Swim in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 7 hours 53 minutes 30 seconds.
In September 1993, she finished 2nd and 7th overall in the 25 km Pan Pacific Championships from Sabaudia to Terracina, Italy in 7 hours 48 minutes 40 seconds.
In September 1993, she finished 1st and 2nd overall in the 32 km Isle di Ponza to San Felice Circeo, Italy in 7 hours 58 minutes 45 seconds.
In February 1994, she finished 3rd in the 56 km Maratón Santa Fe – Coronda in Santa Fe, Argentina in 8 hours 2 minutes 31 seconds.
In February 1994, she finished 4th in the 88 km Maratón Internacional Hernandarias – Paran á in Paraná, Argentina in 9 hours 35 minutes 32 seconds.
In May 1994, she won the 10 km race in Cañon del Sumidero in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico in 2 hours 22 minutes 26 seconds.
In June 1994, she finished 2nd in the 36 km Riviera Marathon in Laigueglia, Italy in 7 hours 24 minutes 32 seconds.
In September 1994, she finished 14th in the 25 km FINA World Championships from Porto San Felice Circeo to Terracina, Italy in 6 hours 25 minutes 31 seconds.
In January 1995, she finished 5th in the 26 km Tapes International Marathon Swim in Tapes, Brazil in 7 hours 7 minutes 46 seconds.
In February 1995, she finished 3rd in the 63 km Maratón Acuática Internacional Santa Fe – Coronda in Santa Fe, Argentina in 8 hours 39 minutes 20 seconds.
In February 1995, she finished 2nd in the 88 km Maratón Internacional Hernandarias – Paran á in Paraná, Argentina in 9 hours 5 minutes 31 seconds
In February 1995, she won the 26 km Maraton Acuatica Internacional in Mar del Plata, Argentina in 5 hours 45 minutes 51 seconds
In July 1995, she finished 2nd in the 42 km Traversée internationale du lac Memphrémagog in Québec, Canada in 9 hours 12 minutes 18 seconds in the FINA World Series Super Final to become the overall FINA World Series winner due to another competitor testing positive in the doping control station.
In August 1995, she finished 6th in the 25 km Pan Pacific Championships in Lake Lanier, Georgia in 5 hours 58 minutes 57 seconds.
In August 1995, she finished 2nd and 11th overall in the 26 km Swim Across The Sound from Port Jefferson to Long Island in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 6 hours 12 minutes 11 seconds.
She completed a 25 km race in the Commonwealth Games pool.

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Steven Munatones

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. 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.

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