Wild weather, rough waters cancel 2017 Big Swim
Swimmers raise $125,000 in support of Brigadoon Village
For the second consecutive year, Mother Nature has played a key role in the Big Swim, ultimately cancelling the 2017 event entirely.
All 50 swimmers, along with their accompanying kayakers, were making their final preparations at the water’s edge in Cape Jourimain, N.B., Sunday morning when, shortly before the planned 7:30 a.m. start, organizers announced participants would not be crossing the Northumberland Strait to Borden-Carleton, as planned due to rough conditions.
Instead, as was the case last year, they were told they would follow the New Brunswick coastline from Cape Jourimain to the Murray Corner wharf, a distance of between 12 and 15 kilometres.
After a 30-minute delay to allow for conditions to improve, the kayakers tasked with providing safety and support for the first of three waves of swimmers were allowed to enter the water. Only moments later, however, as the rain began to intensify and thunder and lightning were evident in the distance, they were called back to shore. Participants nervously waited for the weather to clear, but around 8:15 a.m. organizers announced the event was being cancelled for safety reasons.
Prior to the cancellation, Stratford, resident Ryan Bradley, the only Islander registered for this year’s Big Swim, expressed his disappointment that the route had been changed.
“I saw the first swim and it peaked my interest,” he said. “I’ve been on the waiting list for the past two years and finally got in this year.
“I grew up on P.E.I. on the South Shore so it’s one of those things where you always look across as a kid and wonder if it’s possible, but I guess I won’t find out, at least not today.” Following the announcement this year’s swim had been cancelled, Bradley said, although he was even more disappointed, the important thing was they had raised funds in support of Brigadoon Village.
Todd McDonald, founder of Givetolive, the charitable organization responsible for the swim, was quick to agree with Bradley in terms of his own reaction to the cancellation. “A mix between fortune and disappointment and trying to steer myself towards fortune,” he explained, “because the reality is we’re sending 125 kids to camp, and they will have the opportunity to meet other children with a similar chronic illness, and that’s what this is really about.
“And the other good fortune we had is that we were very close to putting everybody in the water this morning. We were probably within five or 10 minutes of putting everybody in and that would have been a lot more chaotic to get everybody out.”
McDonald said he is disappointed for the swimmers who were unable to take part in this year’s swim.
“My heart breaks for the people who are trying this for the first time, but the energy among the swimmers and kayakers is really incredible. They applauded.
“I’ve never cancelled an event where they applauded, and that shows their spirit.”
A total of $125,000 was raised during this year’s Big Swim, bringing the seven-year total to over $1 million. McDonald added planning will soon get underway for the 2018 Big Swim.
“We’ll be back next year.”