Young stroke survivor attempting to swim the entire length of Okanagan Lake

Only two people have swum the entire length of Okanagan Lake, but that figure could change sometime next week with Robyn Coleman set to begin the marathon swim on Sunday.

If complete, Coleman would set a Guinness World Record as the first female to successfully swim the 106-kilometre distance that begins outside of Vernon and ends on the shores of Penticton.

The 19-year-old has been swimming for much of her life, but set her sights on Okanagan Lake in her last summer of competitive swimming when Nick Pelletier accomplished the feat in 2023.

After much convincing, Coleman got her parents on board and began training with a focus on swimming the length of Okanagan Lake.

“It's been pretty intense,” said Coleman of her training regimen, which has included several long-distance swims.

“I've been doing time in the pool for about 15 to 20 hours a week for the past two years, with some give or take.”

Coleman’s goal is to accomplish the swim in 70 hours and she will have a small army of family, friends and volunteers supporting her.

Alongside the support helping her during the swim, she has since been in contact with Pelletier and Adam Ellenstein, and the pair have given the young swimmer some advice.

Ellenstein is the only other recorded person to accomplish the swim, completing it in just under 41 hours in 2016.

While both Ellenstein and Pelletier accomplished their swims in warmer waters in the month of August, Coleman opted to tackle the swim in June as she prefers a little bit colder water so that she does not sweat too much, get tired faster and there’s hopefully less traffic on the lake.

For Coleman, this upcoming challenge is not just about swimming, but also about raising funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

The young swimmer’s online fundraiser has surpassed its goal of $10,600, with more than $14,000 having been raised so far.

“I’m a pediatric stroke survivor, and so the cause is really important to me because the Heart and Stroke Foundation helps support families who are going through a stroke diagnosis,” explained Coleman, who had a stroke when she was 12.

A GPS tracker and live stream will update Coleman’s progress online at this link. The swim is set to begin at 4 pm on Sunday.

“I'm looking forward to being able to tell people that I swam the lake and just the experience of swimming up onto that beach,” added Coleman.

“And I guess the big thing is when I finally get on the Penticton beach, I can turn around, I can look at the lake, and I can go, ‘Yeah, I just swam that lake.”’

Anyone interested in being an official witness to Coleman's world record attempt can fill out an online form at this link.