Ultra endurance athlete Nick Pelletier has done the unthinkable.
The Kelowna-based swimmer completed his incredible goal of swimming the entire length of Okanagan Lake from Vernon to Penticton, a distance of 106 kilometres.
The young man entered the water in Vernon at 5:18 a.m. Tuesday, swimming for 71 hours until he hit the shore of Penticton's Okanagan Lake Beach.
At roughly 4 a.m. he was met with cheers and congratulations from the sands as the community rallied behind him on his journey that saw him go through three long nights in the water.
Refusing to quit on his second day after experiencing hallucinations, multiple community members joined Pelletier on his journey, boating, kayaking, and swimming alongside him, encouraging him to keep going with every stroke.
Right there with him every step of the way, Pelletier's crew worked hard to keep him hydrated, well fed, and in good spirits.
Pelletier went through multiple coolers of baby rash cream and Vaseline to avoid chafing.
With just metres to go and fighting with every last ounce of strength he had, Pelletier motored to the finish line, doing a couple pushups in the shallow waters before getting to his feet, standing victorious and mentally exhausted.
Along the way, Pelletier and his support crew managed to raise over $29,000 for CMHA Kelowna, smashing their goal of $10,000. You can donate here.
Pelletier is the second person to ever complete the swim, joining Detroit native Adam Ellenstein who did it back in 2016.
Castanet has reached out to the crew for comment, and will update the story when more information becomes available.
