TO BE HONEST CAROL WANTED TO BE AN OPEN WATER SWIMMER AND DROPPED IN AT LADDER #1 TO JOIN US . SHE LOOKED AT THE BEACH A 1/2 MILE AWAY AND THOUGHT SHE COULDN’T DO IT … I TOLD HER SHE DIDN’T HAVE TO SWIM A WHOLE MILE, BUT SHOULD JUST TRY TO SWIM FROM LADDER TO THE NEXT LADDER AND SEE HOW SHE FEELS. ITS LIKE LEARNING HOW TO RUN A MARATHON BY DOING SHORT RUNS AND BUILDING UP TO IT… CAROL MADE HERSELF A LAKE MONSTER ALL BY HERSELF WITH A LOT OF HARD WORK. THE FIRST YEAR SHE HAD A VERY HARD TIME SWIMMING A STRAIGHT LINE , THE WAVES WERE TOSSING HER OFF COURSE AND SHE WAS MUCH SLOWER THEM ME BUT THE NEXT YEAR SHE WAS SWIMMING MUCH FASTER THEN ME AND I HAD SWAM LAKE MICHIGAN FOR 35 YEARS. CAROL ALSO DECIDED IF WE WERE CRAZY ENOUGH TO SWIM ALL WINTER LONG THAT SHE WAS GOING TO JOIN US. MANY HAVE PROMISED TO SWIM IN THE WINTER AND NEVER SHOWED UP . NOT CAROL – IF THERE WAS OPEN WATER AND I COULD CHOP THE ICE OFF THE LADDER SHE WASN’T GOING TO MISS OUT. THE ARE ONLY A FEW ELITE LAKE MONSTER THAT HAVE SWAM ALL YEAR AN CAROL IS THE ONLY FEMALE TOUGH ENOUGH TO GET OUT OF BED VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING TO MAKE THE SUNRISE SWIMS A YEAR ROUND. IT WAS AN HONOR AND PRIVILAGE TO BE A PART OF HER LIFE. SHE WAS ONE TOUGH COOKIE AND WE WILL MISS SEEING HER AT LADDER #1.
DIVER DAVE
WE LOST OUR ONLY FEMALE WINTER SWIMMER TODAY…. I WAS HOPING AND PRAYING SHE WOULD SOON BE ABLE TO JOIN US FOR A SWIM . I MET HER FOR HER FIRST SWIM AND SHE WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO SWIM BETTER IN THE OPEN WATER… WHEN I TOLD HER ABOUT SWIMMING ALL YEAR ROUND SHE KNEW I WAS CRAZY BUT SHE TO WANTED TO JOIN IN AND SWIM WITH US. I CAN ASSURE YOU THERE WAS NOBODY TOUGHER THEN CAROL AND I WILL MISS SEEING HER EVERY TIME I SWIM.
LOVE
DIVER DAVE
Author Steve
TO BE HONEST CAROL WANTED TO BE AN OPEN WATER SWIMMER AND DROPPED IN AT LADDER #1 TO JOIN US . SHE LOOKED AT THE BEACH A 1/2 MILE AWAY AND THOUGHT SHE COULDN’T DO IT … I TOLD HER SHE DIDN’T HAVE TO SWIM A WHOLE MILE, BUT SHOULD JUST TRY TO SWIM FROM LADDER TO THE NEXT LADDER AND SEE HOW SHE FEELS. ITS LIKE LEARNING HOW TO RUN A MARATHON BY DOING SHORT RUNS AND BUILDING UP TO IT… CAROL MADE HERSELF A LAKE MONSTER ALL BY HERSELF WITH A LOT OF HARD WORK. THE FIRST YEAR SHE HAD A VERY HARD TIME SWIMMING A STRAIGHT LINE , THE WAVES WERE TOSSING HER OFF COURSE AND SHE WAS MUCH SLOWER THEM ME BUT THE NEXT YEAR SHE WAS SWIMMING MUCH FASTER THEN ME AND I HAD SWAM LAKE MICHIGAN FOR 35 YEARS. CAROL ALSO DECIDED IF WE WERE CRAZY ENOUGH TO SWIM ALL WINTER LONG THAT SHE WAS GOING TO JOIN US. MANY HAVE PROMISED TO SWIM IN THE WINTER AND NEVER SHOWED UP . NOT CAROL – IF THERE WAS OPEN WATER AND I COULD CHOP THE ICE OFF THE LADDER SHE WASN’T GOING TO MISS OUT. THE ARE ONLY A FEW ELITE LAKE MONSTER THAT HAVE SWAM ALL YEAR AN CAROL IS THE ONLY FEMALE TOUGH ENOUGH TO GET OUT OF BED VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING TO MAKE THE SUNRISE SWIMS A YEAR ROUND. IT WAS AN HONOR AND PRIVILAGE TO BE A PART OF HER LIFE. SHE WAS ONE TOUGH COOKIE AND WE WILL MISS SEEING HER AT LADDER #1.
DIVER DAVE
Thank you to all the OWC Lake Monsters for making Carol, Lake Monster #24, so happy all those early mornings. God Bless you all.
With a grateful heart,
Mary Rose
This was Carol’s favorite photo of her swimming! Thanks for posting this, Steve.
No disrespect to all you OWC folks, but Carol was the only one to make me truly happy at 6:00 am in the cold. How I miss her-
WE LOST OUR ONLY FEMALE WINTER SWIMMER TODAY…. I WAS HOPING AND PRAYING SHE WOULD SOON BE ABLE TO JOIN US FOR A SWIM . I MET HER FOR HER FIRST SWIM AND SHE WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO SWIM BETTER IN THE OPEN WATER… WHEN I TOLD HER ABOUT SWIMMING ALL YEAR ROUND SHE KNEW I WAS CRAZY BUT SHE TO WANTED TO JOIN IN AND SWIM WITH US. I CAN ASSURE YOU THERE WAS NOBODY TOUGHER THEN CAROL AND I WILL MISS SEEING HER EVERY TIME I SWIM.
LOVE
DIVER DAVE