Marilyn Korzekwa is blazing a trail for other long-distance swimmers to follow.
Last Sunday morning, Korzekwa became the first person to swim from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick and then Prince Edward Island in a single swim.
“As a Canadian, I’m proud to be the first person to swim the three provinces, something that’s never been done before,” Korzekwa said in a telephone interview on Monday afternoon, after bidding her crew farewell with a lunch of lobster stew and rolls at Cape Jourimain Nature Centre in southeastern New Brunswick.
Accompanied by her crew, Korzekwa climbed into the water at 7:22 Atlantic Daylight Time on Saturday evening, July 25. There was a bit of a north wind, and the water was calm and about 19C. However, conditions quickly deteriorated, with an unexpected rainstorm and high winds. By 3 a.m., the water temperature had dropped four degrees and the jellyfish had also taken their toll.
“My blood felt like ice in my veins and it was pitch black,” said Korzekwa. “The wind had picked up to more than 10 knots and I’d been stung two or three dozen times by jellyfish; 22 in the face.”
Korzekwa said the waves were tossing her arms around to the point where it was difficult to swim and old shoulder injuries were reactivated. After reaching Prince Edward Island, she and her team determined swimming back to New Brunswick was unsafe.
Korzekwa climbed back into the boat after three provinces, 34 kilometres, 16 hours and 41 minutes. Korzekwa had hoped to double-cross the Northumberland Strait, but Mother Nature had her own ideas.
“I had already done three provinces, and if it was August and flat, it would have been no problem because I still had energy left over, but it wasn’t in the cards with the weather.”
Korzekwa will add the three-provinces record to several other impressive long-distance swimming feats. She has swam Lake Ontario twice, and is the first Canadian to complete the Triple Crown of open water swimming — the English Channel, the Catalina Strait in California and the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.
A psychiatrist in Hamilton, Korzekwa’s swim raised money for Hamilton’s Good Shepherd Centres, which operate shelters and services for troubled youth, abused women and children, mentally and physically challenged people and those without food or homes.
Good Shepherd is Korzekwa’s favourite charity because many of her clients use the services. Donations can still be made at www.goodshepherdcentres.ca.
Marilyn Korzekwa is blazing a trail for other long-distance swimmers to follow.
Last Sunday morning, Korzekwa became the first person to swim from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick and then Prince Edward Island in a single swim.
“As a Canadian, I’m proud to be the first person to swim the three provinces, something that’s never been done before,” Korzekwa said in a telephone interview on Monday afternoon, after bidding her crew farewell with a lunch of lobster stew and rolls at Cape Jourimain Nature Centre in southeastern New Brunswick.
Accompanied by her crew, Korzekwa climbed into the water at 7:22 Atlantic Daylight Time on Saturday evening, July 25. There was a bit of a north wind, and the water was calm and about 19C. However, conditions quickly deteriorated, with an unexpected rainstorm and high winds. By 3 a.m., the water temperature had dropped four degrees and the jellyfish had also taken their toll.
“My blood felt like ice in my veins and it was pitch black,” said Korzekwa. “The wind had picked up to more than 10 knots and I’d been stung two or three dozen times by jellyfish; 22 in the face.”
Korzekwa said the waves were tossing her arms around to the point where it was difficult to swim and old shoulder injuries were reactivated. After reaching Prince Edward Island, she and her team determined swimming back to New Brunswick was unsafe.
Korzekwa climbed back into the boat after three provinces, 34 kilometres, 16 hours and 41 minutes. Korzekwa had hoped to double-cross the Northumberland Strait, but Mother Nature had her own ideas.
“I had already done three provinces, and if it was August and flat, it would have been no problem because I still had energy left over, but it wasn’t in the cards with the weather.”
Korzekwa will add the three-provinces record to several other impressive long-distance swimming feats. She has swam Lake Ontario twice, and is the first Canadian to complete the Triple Crown of open water swimming — the English Channel, the Catalina Strait in California and the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.
A psychiatrist in Hamilton, Korzekwa’s swim raised money for Hamilton’s Good Shepherd Centres, which operate shelters and services for troubled youth, abused women and children, mentally and physically challenged people and those without food or homes.
Good Shepherd is Korzekwa’s favourite charity because many of her clients use the services. Donations can still be made at www.goodshepherdcentres.ca.
Marilyn Korzekwa is blazing a trail for other long-distance swimmers to follow.
Last Sunday morning, Korzekwa became the first person to swim from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick and then Prince Edward Island in a single swim.
“As a Canadian, I’m proud to be the first person to swim the three provinces, something that’s never been done before,” Korzekwa said in a telephone interview on Monday afternoon, after bidding her crew farewell with a lunch of lobster stew and rolls at Cape Jourimain Nature Centre in southeastern New Brunswick.
Accompanied by her crew, Korzekwa climbed into the water at 7:22 Atlantic Daylight Time on Saturday evening, July 25. There was a bit of a north wind, and the water was calm and about 19C. However, conditions quickly deteriorated, with an unexpected rainstorm and high winds. By 3 a.m., the water temperature had dropped four degrees and the jellyfish had also taken their toll.
“My blood felt like ice in my veins and it was pitch black,” said Korzekwa. “The wind had picked up to more than 10 knots and I’d been stung two or three dozen times by jellyfish; 22 in the face.”
Korzekwa said the waves were tossing her arms around to the point where it was difficult to swim and old shoulder injuries were reactivated. After reaching Prince Edward Island, she and her team determined swimming back to New Brunswick was unsafe.
Korzekwa climbed back into the boat after three provinces, 34 kilometres, 16 hours and 41 minutes. Korzekwa had hoped to double-cross the Northumberland Strait, but Mother Nature had her own ideas.
“I had already done three provinces, and if it was August and flat, it would have been no problem because I still had energy left over, but it wasn’t in the cards with the weather.”
Korzekwa will add the three-provinces record to several other impressive long-distance swimming feats. She has swam Lake Ontario twice, and is the first Canadian to complete the Triple Crown of open water swimming — the English Channel, the Catalina Strait in California and the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.
A psychiatrist in Hamilton, Korzekwa’s swim raised money for Hamilton’s Good Shepherd Centres, which operate shelters and services for troubled youth, abused women and children, mentally and physically challenged people and those without food or homes.
Good Shepherd is Korzekwa’s favourite charity because many of her clients use the services. Donations can still be made at www.goodshepherdcentres.ca.