Vicki Keith
Encyclopedia
Vicki Keith, CM
, O.Ont
(born 26 February 1961 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a retired Canadian
marathon swimmer
.
She currently holds 16 world records and has received over 41 honours and awards, having crossed many of the world's most challenging bodies of water. To date, she has raised over $1 million CAD to help children with physical disabilities. Retired from marathon swimming since 1991, Keith continues to raise awareness and funds for programs and projects to help children with physical disabilities and makes public appearances as an inspirational speaker.
She came out of retirement to attempt a new world record on August 5, 2005. Her goal was to swim 84 km (52 mi) from Oswego, New York
to Kingston, Ontario
. However, her attempt was cut short due to high waves. Just before leaving the water, she was averaging only one kilometre an hour because of waves more than two metres tall. If Keith had continued, the wind and waves would have added 30 more hours to her expected 48-hour swim.
Two weeks after her unsuccessful attempt, Keith was back in the water. This time the route was a shoreline swim that saw her travel from Point Petre in Prince Edward County
to Long Point
, then diagonally to the north shore of Amherst Island
, along Amherst Island to Griffin Point, across to Fairfield Park and then along the shore to Lake Ontario Park. She completed 80.2 kilometres, setting a new world record for distance butterfly. The swim, originally predicted to take 48 hours, took 63 hours and 40 minutes (over 2½ days). Keith had to fight high winds and waves, strong currents, cold temperatures, and hallucinations as she pushed beyond what most believed feasible to accomplish her goal.
The end of the Leslie Street Spit
in Toronto
has been named Vicki Keith Point in her honour. This is place where she made most of her landings after crossing Lake Ontario.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, O.Ont
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
(born 26 February 1961 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a retired Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
marathon swimmer
Long-distance swimming
The distances that distinguish long distance swimming from ordinary swimming are those distances that are longer than are typically swum in pool competitions. When a given swim calls more on endurance than outright speed, the more likely it is to be considered a long distance swim...
.
She currently holds 16 world records and has received over 41 honours and awards, having crossed many of the world's most challenging bodies of water. To date, she has raised over $1 million CAD to help children with physical disabilities. Retired from marathon swimming since 1991, Keith continues to raise awareness and funds for programs and projects to help children with physical disabilities and makes public appearances as an inspirational speaker.
She came out of retirement to attempt a new world record on August 5, 2005. Her goal was to swim 84 km (52 mi) from Oswego, New York
Oswego (town), New York
Oswego is a town in Oswego County, New York, USA. The population was 7,287 at the 2000 census.The Town of Oswego is immediately west of the City of Oswego, with which it has a common border...
to Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
. However, her attempt was cut short due to high waves. Just before leaving the water, she was averaging only one kilometre an hour because of waves more than two metres tall. If Keith had continued, the wind and waves would have added 30 more hours to her expected 48-hour swim.
Two weeks after her unsuccessful attempt, Keith was back in the water. This time the route was a shoreline swim that saw her travel from Point Petre in Prince Edward County
Prince Edward County, Ontario
Prince Edward County is a single-tier municipality and a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario.-Geography:Prince Edward County is located in Southern Ontario on a large irregular headland or littoral at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, just west of the head of the St. Lawrence River...
to Long Point
Long Point
This page relates to a sandspit in Norfolk County, Ontario. For other places called Long Point, see Long Point Long Point is a sand spit on the north shore of Lake Erie, part of Norfolk County in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is about 40 kilometres long and is about a kilometre across at its...
, then diagonally to the north shore of Amherst Island
Amherst Island
Amherst Island is one of the Thousand Islands in Lake Ontario near Kingston, Ontario. The island is approximately 70 km² in size, measuring 16.5 km long and 7 km at its widest. It is part of Loyalist Township in Lennox and Addington County. The two main communities on the island are...
, along Amherst Island to Griffin Point, across to Fairfield Park and then along the shore to Lake Ontario Park. She completed 80.2 kilometres, setting a new world record for distance butterfly. The swim, originally predicted to take 48 hours, took 63 hours and 40 minutes (over 2½ days). Keith had to fight high winds and waves, strong currents, cold temperatures, and hallucinations as she pushed beyond what most believed feasible to accomplish her goal.
The end of the Leslie Street Spit
Leslie Street Spit
The Leslie Street Spit, or officially the Outer Harbour East Headland, is a man-made headland in Toronto, Ontario, extending from the city's east end in a roughly southwesterly direction into Lake Ontario. It is about 5 km long....
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
has been named Vicki Keith Point in her honour. This is place where she made most of her landings after crossing Lake Ontario.
Swimming achievements
- First crossing of all five Great LakesGreat LakesThe Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
(completed in a two month period) - First double crossing of Lake OntarioLake OntarioLake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
- First butterfly swim across the English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
- Longest solo swim (distance) 94 km
- Longest solo swim (time) 63 hours 40 minutes
- 129 hours, 45 minutes continuous swimming (pool record)
- Greatest distance, butterfly (male or female) 80.2 km
- Most crossings of Lake Ontario (six)
- Circumnavigation of Sydney HarbourPort JacksonPort Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
(butterfly) - Crossing of the Juan de Fuca StraitStrait of Juan de FucaThe Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
in British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
(butterfly) - Crossing of Lake OntarioLake OntarioLake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
(butterfly) - Crossing of Catalina Channel (butterfly)