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A long swim, sans bridge

| July 23, 2014 9:00 PM

SANDPOINT - Next Wednesday, Boston-based ultramarathon swimmer Elaine K. Howley is slated to make history with a solo 34-mile swim of the length of Lake Pend Oreille.

The July 30 event marks the first time a swimmer has attempted to traverse the entire length of the lake in a single swim. An 84-mile circumnavigation of the lake was completed in 2011 by a team of 10 relay swimmers.

Howley was invited to undertake the long-distance swim challenge by Eric Ridgway, founder of the annual 1.76-mile Long Bridge Swim in Sandpoint.

Ridgway, a Sandpoint resident, stepped back from his race director duties this year and will be focusing on supporting Howley in her historic marathon swim, which is timed to fall a few days prior to this year's Long Bridge Swim event. Her swim will help promote the Long Bridge Swim and draw attention to the aquatic recreational opportunities in the greater Sandpoint area.

"We have such an incredibly beautiful lake here that I am sure that we are going to have many more open-water swimmers coming in the years ahead to take on the challenges of this freshwater playground," Ridgway said.

"I have been involved with three prior 'Big Lake Swims' in Lake Pend Oreille, but all of those were as part of a relay team. I knew that someone would eventually come along to do it as a solo swim, and after talking with Elaine several years ago, I thought that she would be the ideal swimmer to accomplish this feat first! She is not only an amazing athlete, but she does so much to inspire and support others in the swimming world. She is going to open up a whole new venue for big open-water swims in the Pacific Northwest."

The big swim will begin at Buttonhook Bay - the southernmost point in the lake - and progress northward to the intended finish line at Sandpoint City Beach.

Howley expects to cover the 34 miles in 17 to 20 hours if weather conditions are fair. If conditions prove rough or windy, the swim could take 24 hours or more. A veteran marathon swimmer, she has completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, which consists of solo crossings of the Catalina and English channels and a solo circumnavigation of Manhattan Island.

Howley is also a certified ice swimmer, and completed a 1-mile ocean swim in Boston Harbor in December 2012. The water was 41 degrees during that swim and Howley did not wear a wetsuit. She also recently completed a 24-hour training swim in Lake Cochituate, Mass., in which she covered more than 38 miles.

"After that most recent great experience, I'm feeling really confident about this upcoming big swim," Howley said. "It's a total privilege to be invited to do this swim, and I'm very grateful for the community support I've already had in planning the logistics.

"And from what I've been told, it's one of the most beautiful places on the planet to swim," she added. "So, sign me up! I'm excited to be embarking on this amazing journey!"

Howely, who works as associate editor for U.S. Masters Swimming, will be supported in this adventure by a highly experienced crew that will shadow her from a powerboat. Ridgway will be joined by Howley's husband, Mark Howley of Waltham, Mass.; and sports nutritionist Sunny Blende of Sausalito, Calif. Randy Hixon of Sausalito, Calif., will also be offering kayak support.

The swim will be conducted under the auspices of the Marathon Swimmers Federation following the official Rules of Marathon Swimming, of which Howley was a co-author. The rules state that the swimmer may not touch the boat or any of the crew and may not wear a wetsuit. The water is expected to range between 65 and 70 degrees.