Adam Ellenstein aims to set world record for swimming down Okanagan Lake
Michigan-based ultra-endurance triathlete hopes to complete the 105-kilometre swim in about 40 hours
An endurance athlete is attempting to set a Guinness world record for fastest swim along the length of Okanagan Lake from Vernon to Penticton, B.C.
Ultra-distance athlete Adam Ellenstein, 39, expects to complete the 105-kilometre swim in about 40 hours.
"This swim has never been done before and it's Adam's intention to do it the fastest," said his aunt, Susan Scarlett. "He's setting the bar."
Ellenstein started Monday shortly before 6 a.m. PT, and Scarlett said so far the world record attempt is going swimmingly.
By mid-afternoon on Monday, Ellenstein had swam about 24 kilometres.
Feeling the love
Scarlett said he's being supported by a 19-person crew that includes a lead kayak for him to follow, another kayak feeding him a steady supply of a sugar and protein drink, and a pontoon boat as extra backup.
The crew also includes a houseboat with supporters, whom Ellenstein occasionally invites to jump into the water and swim alongside him for support.
"The mood is all about helping Adam feel the love," Scarlett said. "He is out there doing this extraordinary thing. What he has said is his crew is the most important part of any endeavour that he does."
Scarlett said she was the first person to swim with her nephew — an honour, she said, given that he has dedicated the world record attempt in her name.
'Magical and thrilling and humbling' swim
Scarlett was diagnosed with Parkinson's last fall, and Ellenstein has partnered with the Davis Phinney Foundation to raise awareness and support for people diagnosed with the disease.
"It was a beautiful experience. It was magical and thrilling and humbling," she said of the early-morning swim. "There's something bigger than what is happening. It's really quite stunning."
Ellenstein is a U.S. citizen based in Birmingham, Mich. Scarlett said he started competing in ultra-distance triathlons about five years ago.
The longest swim he's completed to date, she said, was to swim the 29 kilometres down Lake Winnipeg, which he completed in about 13 hours.