In honour of her late father, Surrey香蕉视频直播檚 Jen Soti celebrated her 50th birthday with a sometimes frigid six-hour swim in Harrison Lake.
She swam 15 kilometres Thursday, Aug. 17, followed by a 35-kilometre run/walk on forest roads back to the bay where the swim started earlier that day, at around 5:20 a.m.
Soti香蕉视频直播檚 50K journey was done as a fundraiser for Ecojustice Canada in tribute to her father, Jim Keeling Jr., who drowned in Harrison Lake 27 years ago in a boating accident, at age 50, in May 1996.
For Soti, it was a 香蕉视频直播渕emorable香蕉视频直播� milestone birthday.
香蕉视频直播淚 had all these people out celebrating with me so it was certainly a meaningful day, for sure,香蕉视频直播� she said later.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW PHOTOS
Soti, a recreation professional, began her swim at Blind Bay, near where her father died, and made her way south to a beach/boat launch about a kilometre from Harrison Hot Springs Resort.
香蕉视频直播淭he lake was super kind to me at first, calm,香蕉视频直播� she reported. 香蕉视频直播淏ut once I passed Echo Island, that香蕉视频直播檚 where I was told it gets colder. There were sections that were absolutely freezing, so I was very surprised to feel how cold it truly is, but then it would warm up, which was quite odd. It wasn香蕉视频直播檛 cold the entire way, it was just little pockets of it.香蕉视频直播�
She knows how dangerous the lake can be.
香蕉视频直播淢y father drowned there,香蕉视频直播� she underlined. 香蕉视频直播淪o all of that went through my head as I was swimming and tried to stay calm in some confused water, too.
香蕉视频直播淥verall, it was good and I felt very happy with the swim, which was long 香蕉视频直播� around six hours, 27 minutes,香蕉视频直播� Soti added. 香蕉视频直播淭hat was the longest I香蕉视频直播檝e ever swam. I did some long swims at Sasamat Lake (in training), but not that length of time.香蕉视频直播�
Soti is a member of the Keeling family that helped build Cloverdale Raceway horse track (now Fraser Downs) in Surrey. Her grandfather, Jim Keeling Sr., was a co-founder of the track, which opened in 1976. In 1980 he gave the reins to his son, Soti香蕉视频直播檚 father.
Keeling Jr. was a lawyer by profession and served on the board of Sierra Legal Defence Fund, now known as Ecojustice Canada, the nation香蕉视频直播檚 largest environmental law charity.
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Soti explains her money-raising motivation and offered updates in , where more than $6,700 has been collected, so far.
香蕉视频直播淭hat exceeded the goal, which was initially $2,500 and then I raised it to $3,000, then $6,000,香蕉视频直播� she explained.
香蕉视频直播淎s my husband said, the money raised was a bonus,香蕉视频直播� she added. 香蕉视频直播淵ou know, people from my walking group drove from Surrey to Harrison, made signs and brought birthday cake. That support stayed with me, so it was a meaningful event.
香蕉视频直播淚 hope to do it again next year,香蕉视频直播� Soti said. 香蕉视频直播淚 wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 do the fundraising but I would probably just make a donation on behalf of my dad.香蕉视频直播�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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