Recognize – we wanted to give recognition to LOSTies who have done some truly “plaque-worthy” swims!

Inspire – we hope that getting this kind of recognition helps to inspire more LOSTies to dream big too!

Promote – we want to help promote open water swimming, and LOST Swimming to the entire community, to grow the sport and the team!

As with all things LOST, the LOST Plaque and Mural was a team effort, all designed and built by LOSTies in the summer of 2021.  After several years of seeking and getting approval from the Town Council, Rob brought in acclaimed LOST artist Bert Jackson, to paint the mural over the course of the summer.  The actual construction of the structure was Rob, Bert, Mark Bintley, Darren Osborne, Geoff Farrow, Steve Ellison and several others that lent a hand too.  In the end, we hope that it adds a bit of fun, color and interest to the lakefront and expresses the accomplishments and culture of LOST Swimming!

How to get your name on the LOST Plaque?!

1. LOST Champions – swim fast!  LOST Champions are the winners of the LOST Race in the 4 divisions: Male wetsuit, Female wetsuit, Male non-wetsuit, Female non-wetsuit.

2. LOST Legends – swim long!  LOST Legends are LOSTies who have swum across Lake Ontario.

3. LOST Icons – swim long and somewhere else!  LOST Icons are dedicated LOSTies who, in the estimation of the Board, have represented the LOST spirit in completing an iconic swim beyond our shores.

Other Important Details

1. LOST Champion names also go on the LOST Race Trophy.  Winners of the LOST Mile go on the LOST Mile trophy, but not on plaque.

2. In order to get your name on either as an Icon or Legend you must notify the LOST Board BEFORE the swim to ensure it meets all the criterion.

3. For LOST Legend qualifications, most Lake O crossings are eligible, but must be confirmed BEFORE the swim.

4. For LOST Icon qualifications, as well as having a swim that meets the distance/difficulty criterion (generally around 20k, depending on the swim), “you must be a LOSTie”.  This doesn't mean that just because you paid your summer membership you are a true LOSTie.  You must demonstrably show that you are a part of the LOST community by contributing in a regular and meaningful way.  ie) be on the Board, help organize the LOST Race, help regularly with LOST swims, long-standing contributing member, etc.  This is also why the swim must be approved by the Board BEFORE the swim.

5. The Board has deliberately made the LOST Icon category somewhat subjective, since distance isn't strictly the only measure of difficulty in open water swimming.  Distance, temperature, typical water conditions, exoticness, etc are all considered.  However, the person's ability is not considered, only the merits of the swim.  The swim has to be eligible for all people, meaning that just because it is hard for one person to do a swim, it would not qualify unless it was of “plaque-worthy” difficulty for all swimmers.  This is also why the swim must be approved by the Board BEFORE the swim.

6. There is no “back-dating”.  You may have swum the English Channel 20 times, but unless you were a LOSTie when you did it, they don't make it on the LOST Plaque.

7. In order to conserve space on the Plaque, if someone does multiple swims of the same body of water, the same individual plaque may indicate that there were multiple accomplishments on that one plaque.