I (Katie) was in Chicago last week for my good friend Ian’s wedding. This meant I sadly had to miss the Coniston Chillswim but to make up for it I went for a swim in Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is the fifth largest lake in the world at 494 km long and 190 km wide (relay challenge anyone?!).
The set up for swimming is amazing. There are lockers at the start of the Lake for you to leave your stuff in (you need to bring your own padlock), there is a roped off area for swimming which boat can’t enter and ¼ mile and half mile markers along the route. There are also orange ladders every couple of hundred meters or so to climb out in you have had enough.
The swim was beautiful breathing one way I could see the Chicago skyline and on the other side the endless water. On the way back I had the perfect view of the Ferris wheel on Navy Pier as I sighted.
When I got in the weather was boiling hot and sunny but it wasn’t long before the promised storm hit and it began pelting it down. This made for quite a few waves while swimming. About 400m from the end it started lightning. Now if I was in Tooting Bec Lido I would have been out of there quick smart but I had passed the last ladder so had no choice but to sprint on to the end. Such is the nature of weather though it had stopped raining by the time I reached the end (or I really am slow these days).
TEAM Mermaids 