Winter In Willoughby, Swimming In Snow
Members of the Memphremagog Winter Swimming Society from Boston and Newport, gathered for some winter swimming at North Beach on Lake Willoughby, Vermont on December 19th when the water temperature was about 34°F (1.1°C) with -7.7°C (18°F) air temperature.
Elaine Kornbau Howley, Polly Madding, Laurie Craigen, Charlotte Brynn, Pam Ladds, and Lynton Moore, a mix of Shark Bait Sheilas of Newport, Vermont and the L Streeters from Boston, are training for the Memphremagog Winter Swim Festival on February 26th – 27th, an event that maxed out with 135 winter swimmers:
- Cheryl Fellman (49) Juneau, Alaska
- Catherine Delneo(45) San Francisco, California
- Suzie Dods(61) San Rafael, California
- Thomas Hale(52) Laguna Beach, California
- April Holzer(29) Lancaster, California
- David Schreibman(59) San Francisco, California
- Jeremy Whelchel(35) Walnut, California
- Martin McMahon(59) Simsbury, Connecticut
- Susie Nolan Loiselle(57) Old Saybrook, Connecticut
- Talbott Crowell(54) Naples, Florida
- Lisa Adkins(61) Marietta, Georgia
- Elizabeth Almond(46) Atlanta, Georgia
- Qing Li(31) Chicago, Illinois
- Stephen Rouch(40) Indianapolis, Indiana
- Barry O’Connor(58) Dublin, Ireland
- Alana Aubin(31) Belmont, Massachusetts
- Billy Baker(44) Essex, Massachusetts
- Rick Born(58) Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
- Amy Craigen(43) Salem, Massachusetts
- Laurie Craigen(43) Boston, Massachusetts
- Rena Demeo(52) Nahant, Massachusetts
- Florian Gollnow(41) Quincy, Massachusetts
- Christopher Graefe(45) Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
- Ted Hirsch(61) Hull, Massachusetts
- Elaine Howley(43) Waltham, Massachusetts
- Stephanie Kors(28) Waltham, Massachusetts
- Natalie Lang(44) Watertown, Massachusetts
- Kellie Latimer(36) Franklin, Massachusetts
- Sam Levinson(33) Allston, Massachusetts
- Polly Madding(41) Boston, Massachusetts
- Maura McEnaney(64) Medford, Massachusetts
- Karen Nazor(58) Maynard, Massachusetts
- Damase Olsson(50) Sutton, Massachusetts
- Grace Pietsch(39) South Grafton, Massachusetts
- Elliot Reed(42) Easthampton, Massachusetts
- Jessica Rinaldi(41) Medford, Massachusetts
- Martha Wood(58) Manchester, Massachusetts
- Denis Crean(61) Annapolis, Maryland
- Reynald Dupuis(53) New Market, Maryland
- Sue Faibisch(52) New Market, Maryland
- Chuck Flayhart(54) New Market, Maryland
- Anita Hartsock(48) Silver Spring, Maryland
- Florence Litzenger(49) New Market, Maryland
- Jim Loreto(48) Bethesda, Maryland
- Janet Manning(58) Frederick, Maryland
- Anne McLindon(54) Bethesda, Maryland
- Mark Milleker(58) Severna Park, Maryland
- Jennifer Mullen(34) New Market, Maryland
- Lori Rogers(61) New Market, Maryland
- Philippa Rogers(24) Halethorpe, Maryland
- James Rogers(62) New Market, Maryland
- Carol-lynn Swol(52) Hyattsville, Maryland
- Sue Aripotch(64) Northeast Harbor, Maine
- John Gale(64) Portland, Maine
- Gail Gladstone(52) Mount Desert, Maine
- Puranjot Kaur(42) Bar Harbor, Maine
- Roz Kreilkamp(68) Mount Desert, Maine
- Melissa Ossanna(52) Bar Harbor, Maine
- Mariah Reading(27) Bangor, Maine
- Alison Richardson(39) Isle au Haut, Maine
- Jesse Stevens(47) Sweden, Maine
- Heidi Turner(50) Mount Desert, Maine
- Anne Woodman(45) Seal harbor, Maine
- Jennifer Grace(60) Enfield, New Hampshire
- Ginny Peck(76) N Woodstock, New Hampshire
- Margaret Rivard(13) Springfield, New Hampshire
- Vera Rivard(17) Springfield, New Hampshire
- Andrew Wallace(56) Ocean Grove, New Jersey
- Robbie Bailey(53) New York, New York
- Robert Bailey(55) New York, New York
- Seth Bornstein(65) New York, New York
- Edward Gabriels(60) Germantown, New York
- Libby Garland(51) Brooklyn, New York
- Leslie Hamilton(29) New York, New York
- William Hodgess(38) Brooklyn, New York
- Mary Isakson(63) New York, New York
- Juliet Kadlecek(51) New York, New York
- Josh Kalin(46) Brooklyn, New York
- Marty Munson(58) New York, New York
- Jan Noordin(53) New York, New York
- Diane Adams(57) Canton, Ohio
- Anne Coen(79) Canton, Ohio
- Margaret Gadzic (43) Canton, Ohio
- Marci Held (41) North Canton, Ohio
- Mary James (40) Massillon, Ohio
- Jan Jordan (67) Massillon, Ohio
- Kelly Mastriacovo (53) Canton, Ohio
- Gigi Somerville (60) Canton, Ohio
- Bridget Williams (45) North Canton, Ohio
- Janice Barker (47) Oakville, Ontario, Canada
- Nadine Bennett (48) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Richie Eslawa (52) Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Marites Estolas (44) Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Edwin Greenfield (63) Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
- Thomas Heyerdahl (59) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Aimee Jones (40) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Susan McKay (43) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Laurie Moynagh (51) Georgetown, Ontario, Canada
- Josef Polcz (62) Barrie, Ontario, Canada
- Sharon Purdy (72) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Derek Tucker (51) Nepean, Ontario, Canada
- Marlys Cappaert (63) Corvallis, Oregon
- Daniela Klaz (30) Oregon City, Oregon
- Cyndi Werhane (52) Portland, Oregon
- Elizabeth Bhagat (42) Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
- Brydee Farmer (60) Fleetwood, Pennsylvania
- Louise Hyder-Darlington (60) Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
- Diane McManus (70) Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
- Paula Miller (49) Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Jane Price (58) Wernersville, Pennsylvania
- Mary Stella (45) Kingston, Pennsylvania
- Amy Wierman (55) Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Cheryl Hatch (62) Middleyown, Rhode Island
- Christina Lorenson (48) Coventry, Rhode Island
- Thomas Young-Bayer (42) Bristol, Rhode Island
- Sarah Watson (42) Charleston, South Carolina
- Robert Cass (53) Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Brian Jaskot (43) Vienna, Virginia
- Susan Kasimer (39) McLean, Virginia
- Matthew Marcy (53) Bluemont, Virginia
- Andrea Nelson (43) Arlington, Virginia
- Robert Soulliere (57) Alexandria, Virginia
- Peter Villano (50) Falls Church, Virginia
- Kathryn Wiseman (57) Vienna, Virginia
- Carol Wortman (55) Alexandria, Virginia
- Charlotte Brynn (55) Newport, Vermont
- Amy Leah de Camp-Thomas (43) Shrewsbury, Vermont
- Pam Ladds (71) Newport City, Vermont
- Maggie Lonergan (32) Thetford, Vermont
- Galen Miller (43) Shrewsbury, Vermont
- Lynton Moore (54) Newport, Vermont
- Sean Postlewaite (54) Charlotte, Vermont
- Julie Postlewaite (49) Charlotte, Vermont
- Karyn Stannard (63) Fair Haven, Vermont
- Mike Stannard (63) Fair Haven, Vermont
For more information about the event, visit kingdomgames.co.
The two-lane, 25-meter pool is cut in the ice of Lake Memphremagog at The EastSide Restaurant. White explains, “While winter swimming is widespread and popular in Europe, Newport’s pool is the only 25-meter competitive winter swimming pool cut in the ice in all of the Americas.
The first Festival was held in 2015 with 41 Pioneers. It has been held every year since then with the exception of last year, when we went virtual. We’re back. Every swimmer and every volunteer is required to be fully vaccinated and boosted.
Because of the growth of the sport and the presence of 40 winter swimmers on this year’s waiting list, the Festival Organizing Committee will be looking to expand the Festival with an additional day of swimming in 2023. The event is organized and hosted by Kingdom Games and the Memphremagog Winter Swimming Society. Kingdom Games now hosts over 30 days of open water swimming, running, biking and winter swimming events throughout the year.“
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