Swimmer Scout Summary
Courtesy of Phil White, Lake Memphremagog, Vermont, USA – Quebec, Canada.
In 2011, Phil White created the In Search of Memphre cross-border marathon swim between Vermont, USA and Quebec, Canada, in part, to promote a more open border with Canada.
White summarized the In Search of Memphre solo swim of 40.2 km, “Nowhere was the fullness and richness of the summer more apparent than it was with In Search of Memphre and our 8 Swimmer Scouts who, each and all, successfully completed their international swims the 25-mile length of Lake Memphremagog. One of whom, Stephen Rouch, doubled down, swimming 80.4 km in 25 hours 10 minutes.
It was an impressive group of Swimmer Scouts.
Each swim had its own share of epic, whether it was the four separate rainbows greeting Lauren Byron as she entered the Bay of Magog, the double crossing by Stephen Rouch, the triumph of Pat Gallant-Charette who swam injured for the last 6 miles, and the completion by Shannon House Keegan, mother of two youngsters, one of the first Swimmer Scouts to attempt the swim as a relay in 2011 and having her eye on the swim for years.”
1. On July 8th, 70-year-old Dan Shub crossed in 21 hours 11 minutes in a wetsuit to become the oldest person to swim the length of the lake
2. On July 16th, 45-year-old Mark Sheridan crossed in 13 hours 8 minutes became the first amateur Brit to swim the length of the lake
3. On July 16th, 46-year-old James Loreto crossed in 13 hours 41 minutes.
4. On July 16th, 42-year-old Natalie Lang crossed in 13 hours 46 minutes.
5. Pat Gallant-Charette, 68, Westbrook, ME: July 31st-August 1st 2019, 24 hours, 8 minutes, became the oldest person to cross the lake complying with traditional channel crossing rules.
6. On August 6th, Lauren Byron crossed in 14 hours 23 minutes at the age of 43.
7. On August 22nd – 23rd, 39-year-old Stephen Rouch swam a two-way crossing in 25 hours 12 minutes (that compromsed on Newport to Magog 11 hours and 40 minutes; Magog to Newport: 13 hours 32 minutes to became the second person in history and successfully complete a two-way crossing of Lake Memphremagog after Sarah Thomas in 2013.
8. On September 10th, 44-year-old Shannon House Keegan crossed in 14 hours 1 minutes.
White continued, “Some swimmers come to The Search with impressive accomplishments already under their belts: Triple Crowners like Pat Gallant-Charette, Mark Sheridan, and James Loretto who continue their open water journeys at Memphremagog. Others like Dan Shub, Lauren Byron, Shannon House Keegan, and Natalie Lang, have been long with our tribe of Kingdom Swimmers. They have grown up in our waters and we take special pride seeing their smiles on the beach in Magog.”
We have a pontoon boat, Lucky, a 16-foot wooden dory, Django, and a borrowed pontoon, Sweat Pea, all of which allow us to support up to three swimmers in any given window. We have recruited a second pilot, Rob Andersen who piloted for several swimmers in 2019.
We provide a boat and a pilot for US$2,450. The swimmer provides a crew member or we do for an extra US$500.
Registration opened on September 1st. The following are the dates of the windows and the swimmers who have already signed on for 2020 season:
* July 6th–8th 2020 with 57-year-old Martin McMahon
* July 14th-16th 2020 with 13-year-old Margaret Rivard
*July 28th-30th with 60-year-old Genevieve Mackwood
*August 3rd-5th: open date
*August 26th-28th with 70-year-old Joan Weisberg Beyerlein and 74-year-old Ellery McGowan on a relay
*September 1st-3rd with 68-year-old James Penrose from Paris, France
*September 7th-9th with 47-year-old Elizabeth Almond in a two-way crossing
White continued, “We are excited by the growing interest in this swim and the class of 2020 that is already forming with room for a couple more Swimmer Scouts in each window.”
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