Kevin Murphy, the understated dual inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame and International Swimming Hall of Fame, oft stated that he was going for a little dip. Those little dips included 34 crossings of the English Channel and several dozens of other significant marathon swims of note.
Phil White, founder of the Kingdom Games and the Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association, has created an ever-growing ecosystem of enabling little dips in the Mighty Memphremagog, the long lake that is nestled within the borders of the US state of Vermont and the Canadian province of Quebec – from the Memphremagog Winter Swim Festival to the 40 km cross-border classic, In Search of Memphre.
Together with Charlotte Brynn, White organizes a 12-mile 3-stage Champion of Champions event is a head-to-head competition among the 20 fastest and strongest swimmers among the Tribe of Kingdom Nation including the 2024 winner Alana Aubin.
- Stage 1 at 9:00 am: 6.5-mile swim out and around Province Island and back
- Stage 2 at 1:30 pm: 3.5-mile swim around Bell Island, Black Island, and Cove Island
- Stage 3 at 4:00 pm: 2-mile sprint to Bell Island and back
A Chart of the Courses above was created by Kingdom Games Cartographer Christopher Graefe. For more information and registration, visit here.
Photo by Kathleene Marcil above shows Maggie Lonergan leading Melissa Burroughs at the 2024 NEKOWSA Champion of Champions Challenge.
© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
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