Hamilton psychiatrist Marilyn Korzekwa has become the oldest woman and first Canadian to swim the Cook Strait.
Korzekwa, 58, swam the 26-kilometre strait in 11 hours and 34 minutes on March 18 to become the 96th person to complete the crossing of the strait that separates the north and south islands of New Zealand.
Korzekwa said her biggest challenges in completing the swim were 15 to 16 degree water temperatures, metre high waves, a current that twisted her path and a one-hour “do or die” effort in the dark at the end of the marathon swim.
“I had to sprint for all I was worth and then dig deeper for more sprint to punch through the tide at the end,” said Korzekwa. “It was a nail biter for those watching... I finished at some rocks because it was too dangerous to go all the way in to the shore through the surf through unknown waters.”
Korzekwa undertook the Cook Strait challenge to raise money for the Sashbear Foundation, a Canadian charity founded in memory of elite swimmer Sasha Menu Courey, who lost her battle to borderline personality disorder and died by suicide at the age of 20.
Sashbear funds education programs for therapists, families and in schools.
“I have dedicated my psychiatric career to the treatment and research of borderline personality disorder, which has a suicide rate of 10 per cent,” said Korzekwa. “More treatment programs and support for families are desperately needed in Canada.”
Korzekwa adds the Cook Strait to an impressive resume of accomplishments as a long distance swimmer. She was the first person to swim Lake Ontario in both directions and is the oldest woman to complete the 20-kilometre swim around Key West, Fla. In 2011, Korzekwa swam 34 kilometres of the English Channel in extremely cold water and high winds, and last year she became the first person to swim between three provinces — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island — a distance of 34 kilometres which took 16 hours and 41 minutes. She is the first Canadian to complete the Triple Crown of marathon swimming comprised of the English Channel, the San Pedro Strait from Catalina Island to mainland California and the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.
Korzekwa, however, said her long-distance swimming days are likely be numbered.
“I am winding down my marathon swimming career in the next year or two because I have a lot of aches and pains that aren’t healing with the amount of training I have to do,” she said.
To assist Korzekwa in her goal to raise $10,000 for the Sashbear Foundation, go to www.sashbear.org/en/about-us/join-the-wave.
Hamilton psychiatrist Marilyn Korzekwa has become the oldest woman and first Canadian to swim the Cook Strait.
Korzekwa, 58, swam the 26-kilometre strait in 11 hours and 34 minutes on March 18 to become the 96th person to complete the crossing of the strait that separates the north and south islands of New Zealand.
Korzekwa said her biggest challenges in completing the swim were 15 to 16 degree water temperatures, metre high waves, a current that twisted her path and a one-hour “do or die” effort in the dark at the end of the marathon swim.
“I had to sprint for all I was worth and then dig deeper for more sprint to punch through the tide at the end,” said Korzekwa. “It was a nail biter for those watching... I finished at some rocks because it was too dangerous to go all the way in to the shore through the surf through unknown waters.”
Korzekwa undertook the Cook Strait challenge to raise money for the Sashbear Foundation, a Canadian charity founded in memory of elite swimmer Sasha Menu Courey, who lost her battle to borderline personality disorder and died by suicide at the age of 20.
Sashbear funds education programs for therapists, families and in schools.
“I have dedicated my psychiatric career to the treatment and research of borderline personality disorder, which has a suicide rate of 10 per cent,” said Korzekwa. “More treatment programs and support for families are desperately needed in Canada.”
Korzekwa adds the Cook Strait to an impressive resume of accomplishments as a long distance swimmer. She was the first person to swim Lake Ontario in both directions and is the oldest woman to complete the 20-kilometre swim around Key West, Fla. In 2011, Korzekwa swam 34 kilometres of the English Channel in extremely cold water and high winds, and last year she became the first person to swim between three provinces — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island — a distance of 34 kilometres which took 16 hours and 41 minutes. She is the first Canadian to complete the Triple Crown of marathon swimming comprised of the English Channel, the San Pedro Strait from Catalina Island to mainland California and the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.
Korzekwa, however, said her long-distance swimming days are likely be numbered.
“I am winding down my marathon swimming career in the next year or two because I have a lot of aches and pains that aren’t healing with the amount of training I have to do,” she said.
To assist Korzekwa in her goal to raise $10,000 for the Sashbear Foundation, go to www.sashbear.org/en/about-us/join-the-wave.
Hamilton psychiatrist Marilyn Korzekwa has become the oldest woman and first Canadian to swim the Cook Strait.
Korzekwa, 58, swam the 26-kilometre strait in 11 hours and 34 minutes on March 18 to become the 96th person to complete the crossing of the strait that separates the north and south islands of New Zealand.
Korzekwa said her biggest challenges in completing the swim were 15 to 16 degree water temperatures, metre high waves, a current that twisted her path and a one-hour “do or die” effort in the dark at the end of the marathon swim.
“I had to sprint for all I was worth and then dig deeper for more sprint to punch through the tide at the end,” said Korzekwa. “It was a nail biter for those watching... I finished at some rocks because it was too dangerous to go all the way in to the shore through the surf through unknown waters.”
Korzekwa undertook the Cook Strait challenge to raise money for the Sashbear Foundation, a Canadian charity founded in memory of elite swimmer Sasha Menu Courey, who lost her battle to borderline personality disorder and died by suicide at the age of 20.
Sashbear funds education programs for therapists, families and in schools.
“I have dedicated my psychiatric career to the treatment and research of borderline personality disorder, which has a suicide rate of 10 per cent,” said Korzekwa. “More treatment programs and support for families are desperately needed in Canada.”
Korzekwa adds the Cook Strait to an impressive resume of accomplishments as a long distance swimmer. She was the first person to swim Lake Ontario in both directions and is the oldest woman to complete the 20-kilometre swim around Key West, Fla. In 2011, Korzekwa swam 34 kilometres of the English Channel in extremely cold water and high winds, and last year she became the first person to swim between three provinces — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island — a distance of 34 kilometres which took 16 hours and 41 minutes. She is the first Canadian to complete the Triple Crown of marathon swimming comprised of the English Channel, the San Pedro Strait from Catalina Island to mainland California and the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.
Korzekwa, however, said her long-distance swimming days are likely be numbered.
“I am winding down my marathon swimming career in the next year or two because I have a lot of aches and pains that aren’t healing with the amount of training I have to do,” she said.
To assist Korzekwa in her goal to raise $10,000 for the Sashbear Foundation, go to www.sashbear.org/en/about-us/join-the-wave.