LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 36 efforts. "Fear was never a word in my mother's vocabulary," says daughter Rippon. "She said that she just wouldn't live like that." Although Lake George is the largest of the Adirondacks' bodies of water, it's only one of three thousand lakes and ponds there. Other lakes serve as workout spaces and places of discovery, and the adventure swimmers known as the ADK 47 Lakers aim to try some of the largest, including Mirror Lake and irteenth Lake. Like the ADK 46'ers, they keep lists of lakes that they "bag," setting challenges based on personal goals. Starting as a synchronized swimmer and the fastest on her junior high team, Deb Roberts is one of these who does at least a mile five days a week. Her heroes include Diane Struble and Charlotte Brynn, and she also lauds the health benefits of the sport: "Swimming brings me joy. It is so great for mental health. No matter how hard it is to get in, I almost always get out happy." Citing the excellent water quality and captivating shoreline of Lake George as reasons for why it's her favorite, she and husband, Bob Singer (both are aquatic scientists), want to make others around the world aware of its beauty. ey're part of a growing group who travel for swim vacations and open-water festivals, which allow enthusiasts to tour someplace new, spending part of the time doing long swims in the surrounding waters, while meeting other travelers who enjoy the sport. e couple has brought new friends to the Adirondacks, introducing them to lakes that they themselves have tried. ey've also been involved with the Lake George Open Water and Marathon Swims for many years, and Singer is Chair of the U.S. Masters Swimming Committee in the Adirondacks. In 1927, the first Lake George Swimming Marathon attracted 146 competitors from six countries and almost every state. All underestimated the difficulty of the challenge, and only one finished. e event was never repeated, but was reprised in 2007 for an 80th anniversary celebration. Lake George Open Water Swims, Lake Champlain 4- and 8-mile swims, and the Betsy Owens and Terry Laughlin Memorial Cable Swims in Lake Placid remain popular. As a resident of Ticonderoga, Bridget Simpson has done many nearby races, including the Betsy Owens, but you won't find anyone more enthusiastic about Lake George. Completing her nonstop solo in 2017, she enjoys being able to swim there anytime, including during winter when the waters are frigid, and says simply, "Lake George is mine." Simpson swam in high school, but only started ultramarathons in 1999. "e way time passes in the water is different," she says, preferring to swim at night with minimal boat traffic, and stars filling the sky. George Harrison's music has been on her mind during her swims over the last year, especially "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)." One of her goals is to swim in the English Channel along the coast on June 6, 2024, the 80th anniversary of D-Day; another is an inaugural "What are we capable of if we too let go of fear?"

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