So just like that… summer 2014 is pretty much over. (Caledon swim still coming mind you!). It seemed like a bit of weird summer actually… never seemed to get here, even after the never ending winter… and then it was gone. But having said that… it was still a pretty special summer… check out all these amazing accomplishments by LOSTies and friends!!! A pretty incredible summer by any measure!
- Christine van Warmerdam qualifies for Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. The catch with Christine’s Ironman is that it was her first! And no long history of tri’s at all. One of the biggest shockers of the whole summer! Way to go Christine!!!
David, Al and Darren at the start of Death Race! - Darren Osborne, David Brezer and Al Wiggins run The Death Race. 125 km with 17,000 ft of elevation change! (not to mention the 80k race they did as a training race and finished in the top 12!)
- Darren Osborne swims across Bondi Beach in Australia… sharks aside not a huge athletic accomplishment… but one of the coolest! (check out his whole adventure in a post below)
Darrens swim across Australias Bondi Beach! - Annaleise Carr swims 42.2 km across Lake Erie!
- Annaleise Carr completes a second marathon swim in Lake Erie of 30 km… and in case that wasn’t enough… she raised $200,000 for a kids cancer camp… after having raised over $300,000 two years ago when she swam across Lake Erie!
Annaleise landing in Port Dover after 30k swim - Miguel and I were privileged enough to be the Swim Masters for both of Annaleise’s swims!
Swim Master for Annaleises Lake Erie Crossings! - Brett Titus qualifies for Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii at Ironman Wisconsin!
Brett… the LOST Coffee Guy… the only coffee shop in the world where they wear wetsuits to work! - Hugh climbs Mount Kilimanjaro! The highest point in Africa!
Huge at the top of Kilimanjaro!!! - All of the Ironman triathlons that all the LOSTies did this summer! Muskoka, Lake Placid, Mt Tremblant and a few others! Awesome.
- World Aquatic Championships in Montreal… lots of LOSTies and swimmers from BMSC and Oakville Masters too!
Burlington Masters (and LOSTies!) at World Aquatic Championships in Montreal! - Trinity Arsenault becomes the second youngest person to swim across Lake Ontario… at 14 years old!!!
- Colleen Sheilds becomes the oldest person to swim across Lake Ontario… her 3rd successful crossing… at 60 years old!!!
Rob, Colleen Sheilds (3 Lake O Crossings) , Darren - Said goodbye to a LOSTie original, Denise Short. Not an accomplishment, but a special moment for a special person. (see post below).
The whole gang, at Brett’s birthday at the King’s Arms… (that’s me with my arm around Denise in the front row). - Started the Canadian Open Water Swim Series (COWSS.ca)!
- Michael Parker finishes 20th in the World Triathlon Championships in Edmonton!(sprint distance)… way to go, Mikey!
Madhu, Lynn, Michael and Bud… - Ross, Beth, Annaleise and Bill win the 4 divisions in the 7th annual LOST Race!
Winners of the LOST Race, 2014! Ross, Beth, Bill and Annaleise! - Art and Nick Chasovskykh finish 38th overall in the OtillO (the largest Swim/Run race in the world, in Sweden)… joining Lisa Neidrauer as the only other LOSTie who has done this race, which is considered one of the toughest in the world!
O Till O swim-run race in Sweden! - Greg Streppel gets a silver medal in the 3k open water at Worlds in Montreal (and a silver in 200 IM too!). One of the greatest competitive open water swimmers in the world… still has it!
Greg Streppel getting silver in 200IM and silver in 3k open water too! (right) - LOSTie, Chris Willer completes Ultraman Canada… 10k swim, 420.2k bike, 84.3k run!!!
- Sheila Treleaven and Maisey Kent win at the Toronto Island Lake Swim!
Sheila gets 1st woman overall and 1st woman/wetsuit division! 
… the sweet taste of victory!
Of course the problem with lists is that you inevitably forget someone… so sorry in advance if I did (but let me know and I’ll fix it!) Regardless of the weather, that was a pretty amazing summer for those LOSTies and for the rest of us that just sat back and watched in awe… and just enjoyed a few races and dips in the lake.
Well done everyone, makes me proud to be associated with all of you!
Cheers,
Rob
PS. this one pretty much says it all… I love it!!!