Blind man swims across B.C.'s Georgia Strait in 11 hours to raise money for guide dogs

A blind B.C. man completed an 11-hour-long swim from Sechelt to Nanaimo on Sunday, raising over $120,000 for people in need of guide dogs. 

Scott Rees, 39, was greeted at Pipers Lagoon in Nanaimo with a warm welcome from dozens of friends, family members, and supporters.

"Hearing the cheers on the beach gave me the fuel, the fire I needed for the last 200 or 300 metres," Rees said after the swim. 

He arrived around 5 p.m. after just under 11 hours — exceeding his expectations of making the crossing in under 12.

Rees noted he felt "banged up" and was happy to be back on dry land. 

As of Monday, Rees has raised $124,401 for the charity Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind to help visually impaired people access guide dogs, according to the organization.

Rees, who has a condition called retinitis pigmentose which has caused him to lose all functional sight, says his life changed when he got his dog from the organization two years ago. 

He says his yellow lab, Kaleb, allows him to walk down the sidewalk at a normal speed without colliding with people or objects. 

"It restored a lot of my independent mobility that I had lost," said Rees. 

Alexandra MacCarthy tearfully greeted her husband on the shore Sunday evening. 

"Mostly just pride. Everyone's feeling really inspired by him and really proud of all his accomplishments," said MacCarthy, describing her feelings just before Rees arrived. 

A champion and inspiration

Four-time Paralympic swimmer Donovan Tildesley accompanied Rees, swimming alongside him for the first hour and following along by boat for the rest of the way. 

"I think he's given all of us a real gift, showing what can be done as a blind person," said Tildesley.

Tildesley said he was connected to Rees through a mutual friend and was inspired by his story.

Tildesley has been blind his whole life but was touched to hear that somebody who had gone through vision loss found a way to give back to the community while adjusting to a  new reality. 

"That is truly a champion and an inspiration in my mind," said Tildesley. "What better way to spend a Sunday than helping out a fellow blind person pursuing a sport that we both love?"

Rees was also accompanied by friend Joost Van Woerden, who paddled alongside him in a kayak and guided him across the Georgia Straight, directing him to swim left or right. 

"He had a great start, struggled in the middle a little bit with currents and fatigue, and then he powered through the last three hours," he said. 

Van Woerden said the swim took a lot of planning in terms of picking the right day with the tides and weather. 

"It was a big day. A little emotional for the whole team, I think. We've seen him train really hard for this," said Van Woerden.