Local Swimmer Achieves her Dream

You know how people give the advice, make a goal and you'll get there? About 40 years ago, Karen Rogers was seven years old when she looked out across Lake Tahoe and told her Dad that she was going to swim (21 miles!) across it one day. This August, she did it! She started at 3am, and it took her about ten hours. The only struggle she had during the swim was about three hours in when she cramped up. Her coach on a nearby kayak gave her a bottle of Cytomax, she pounded it, and continued on her way, feeling better. Besides that she said the swim was, "easy." WOW!

I interviewed Karen about her feat for ActiveReno last month. She was September's ActiveReno athlete of the month. The thing I found most interesting about what she said was how it is while she is swimming that she is truly at her happiest. A swimmer for 10 years, I have encountered more than a few people who are like this. Swimmers tend to be a quirky bunch! It's like they only feel complete when they have swimming in their lives. I have periods like this too, when the only thing that will make me feel OK is getting in a pool and swimming hard. Karen said about halfway through these long swims is when she feels "normal." She feels most like herself in the water. She says she considers this to mean she has not fully adapted into a human.

I relate. There's something magic about being in the water for long periods of time while getting exercize. Some people just need it! I do. Maybe it has to do with connection to the earth in an intense way, as you must adapt your breathing pattern to be able to stay in the water.
Check out this video portrait of Karen Rogers.

Trans Tahoe Relay Swim 2009

The Trans Tahoe Relay Swim is a 30+ year tradition where teams of six individuals complete an 11 mile course across the glorious Lake Tahoe- starting at Sand Harbor Beach and ending at Skylandia Beach. Each individual swims for 30 minutes, then 15, then 10, until their team lands at Skylandia Beach. Speedboats filled with teammates bob alongside their swimmers until their turn in the 60-ish degree water. Then the swimmers touch, and switch.

The first swimmer of each team starts on the beach at 7:30 am. The first finishers come in around three hours, and keep coming in for about three more hours. Ambitious individuals who want to swim the whole thing alone are also allowed to compete.

This year instead of swimming I interviewed swimmers and created a video portrait of the event, in collaboration with my friends at ActiveReno. Check it out!

Swimmer Jim

I present you with Swimmer Jim! It's a little video portrait of Reno area Masters swimmer Jim Conkey, done as a part of Project Moonshine, and last winter's 'I Like Winners' exhibition at UNR's Sheppard Gallery. The basis for the exhibition was to explore through art the ideas of winning and athleticism. Here's Jim and his thoughts.

Swimmer Jim from lis bartlett on Vimeo.