We’re thrilled to announce a significant step forward in our journey: Lev’s historic 52km swim across Lake Ontario is now officially listed on soloswims.com!
What is Solo Swims of Ontario?
Solo Swims of Ontario is the official sanctioning body for marathon swims across Ontario’s Great Lakes. Since 1975, they’ve been documenting, verifying, and supporting swimmers who take on these incredible challenges. Their meticulous record-keeping and strict adherence to international marathon swimming rules ensure that every swim is legitimate, safe, and recognized in the global open water swimming community.
As the governing organization for marathon swimming in Ontario, Solo Swims provides crucial services including:
- Official verification and documentation of successful crossings
- Safety protocols and standards for marathon swims
- Historical records of all sanctioned lake crossings
- Support and guidance for swimmers planning these extreme endurance events
Why This Matters for Our MissioN
Having Lev’s swim officially recognized by Solo Swims of Ontario legitimizes this historic attempt in several important ways:
- Safety First: Working with Solo Swims means adhering to established safety protocols, ensuring Lev has the best possible support system throughout this demanding journey. The Solo Swims team will be working with us to ensure all preparations meet their standards.
- Historical Documentation: When completed, Lev will be permanently recorded as the first openly transgender person to swim across Lake Ontario in the official records of Great Lakes crossings, and they’ll provide official observers on the day of the swim.
- Adherence to Standards: The swim will follow the strict swimming rules (no wetsuit, no touching the boat, etc.), ensuring it stands alongside other legendary crossings in terms of athletic achievement.
- Credibility for Our Message: Official recognition elevates the visibility of this swim beyond a personal challenge to a documented athletic achievement, amplifying our message about transgender inclusion in outdoor spaces.
What’s Next?
With this official listing, our training and preparations continue with vigor! This milestone brings us one step closer to making history this August. We’re grateful to Solo Swims of Ontario for their support and recognition of this groundbreaking athletic endeavor.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue training and preparing for this historic 52km crossing. Every stroke brings us closer to expanding what’s possible for transgender athletes everywhere.
Want to support this historic swim? https://levswimslakes.ca/#DONATE
Follow Lev’s training journey on Instagram: @lev.swims.lakes #51kmForTransVisibility #SoloSwims #LakeOntario #TransAthletes
Also check out Lev’s Gofundme campaign to contribute to this awesome journey: https://gofund.me/82246672