5 useful tidbits about LOST Swimming…

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Just some LOST related tidbits I thought you might find useful:AED

  1. A couple of years ago myself and a few others did CPR on a runner that collapsed near the end of the Hamilton Marathon (that’s another story, but a very cool one, scroll down and you can find the long version).  A large part of it was because we were able to start quickly and because we had an AED to shock his heart back to life.  We worked on him for 15 minutes and shocked him 5 times… and he survived.  I spoke with him and his brother (Ted and Don Guloien) a couple of days ago and they are going to donate an AED to LOST Swimming.  How cool is that.custom ear plugs
  2. France told me of a good place to get custom ear plugs.  As you might know I’ve literally broken my eardrums dozens of times and had one eardrum replaced twice.  I always swim with earplugs.  They protect your eardrum from rupturing and believe it or not, they keep your eardrum and head warm.  France got a pair for her daughter at Connect Hearing in Maple Grove Plaza, $63 each.  They aren’t cheap, but they are worth it.IMG_0414
  3. I saw this kayak and paddleboard on sale at Home Depot (of all places).  Cheap and cheerful, $400 for the paddleboard and $300 for the kayak.  Pretty decent prices.  We are always happy to have more kayakers and paddleboarders out for LOST Swims and the LOST Race!
  4. We always get about 65% off on Xterra wetsuits and paddleboards.  So click on the Xterra Wetsuits logo on the right hand side of the page and have a look around.  If you find something you like, drop me an email and I’ll send you the code.  LOSTies have bought over 200 wetsuits through Xterra, they love us!Xterra sale, June 1, 2016
  5. Support a good cause and get a good deal on a paddleboard or kayak! Charterability, an organization that takes handicapped people out on the Lake to see the beauty that we get to see all the time, is having a dinner to raise money for their program.  Charterability always lets us use their pontoon boat for the LOST Race!  They are also having a silent auction with over $10,000 worth of prizes (this is a good one!)… including paddleboard, 2 kayaks, big screen TV, 10 laps in an exotic car at Cayuga Speedway… and a ton of other items!Charterability flyer
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I founded LOST Swimming because I like open water swimming and would like to see it grow and thrive in Lake Ontario. I started as a competitive swimmer as a kid and ended up getting as far as a silver medal at Nationals and going to the Olympic Trials in 1988. But I retired after that, I was sick of swimming. So I got into running marathons and have run over 35 to date, as well as a few ultra marathons, including the Marathon des Sables (7 day, ultra across the Sahara Desert). I also kind of fell into triathlons and have done a handful of Ironman tri's too. This gradually got me back in the water and in 2006 I took the plunge and attempted swimming the English Channel. I didn't quite make it across, but the circle was now complete and after 17 years I was a swimmer again! Although I still do plenty of pool swimming, I now much prefer open water swimming and like to say that open water swimming is to pool swimming, what trail running is to treadmill running! As a result I hope to encourage more people to join me for a dip in Lake Ontario as often as we can!