Seven athletes to swim across Lake Mendota

The Capital Times  —  6/27/2008 11:27 am

In order to bring attention to the importance of keeping area waters clean and safe, seven endurance athletes will swim five and a half miles across Lake Mendota on Friday.

Many Dane County residents take advantage of local lakes and beaches for recreational swimming. Additionally, a considerable number of local ultra-athletes and long distance swimmers utilize the lakes as training venues for endurance events such as the Ironman Competition, which includes a 2.4 mile open water swim.

"Laps in a pool cannot compare to what you experience in open water," said Darren Fortney, a local ultra-athlete. "The Madison-area literally has hundreds of athletes who utilize our lakes for training and working out."

Brett Hulsey, chair of the Lakes and Watersheds Commission, said local athletes can be confident that area lakes will be kept healthy and clean.

"Our local and state governments are determined to expand efforts to clean up our lakes and make all beaches safe and clean for swimming," said Hulsey.

Concerns about the quality of local waters have increased in recent years due to flooding, construction sites and farm and urban run-off.

The seven swimmers will be accompanied by a motorized boat and numerous paddlers. The swimmers are expected to finish at the Memorial Union Terrace around 5-6 p.m. Friday evening.

The swim was originally to be a part of Take a Stake in the Lakes Days (June 7-22), a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining the integrity of area waters.

To learn more about the efforts to keep local waters clean, visit www.danewaters.com.

The Capital Times  —  6/27/2008 11:27 am