My father passed away in 2021.  He participated in Hospice care for a little over two weeks before his death.  He wanted nothing more than to be at home when he died, and Hospice helped our family give him this wish.  His last few weeks were spent in the living room of our cottage, where he had a panoramic view of the Lake Ontario shoreline.  My father had a deep love of nature and being near the water.  In his fifties, he custom transformed our small cottage into a large, year round home to allow him and my mom to spend their "golden years" by the lake.   The cottage today is a beautiful reminder of my father's peaceful soul and amazing hard work.   I am deeply grateful he was able to spend his final days there.

I grew up spending my summers at the cottage, splashing along the shoreline of Lake Ontario with my two sisters.  I developed an early love of the water, and joined my first competitive swim team in 10th grade.  I swam competitively throughout high school and college (go Blue Wave!), and often credit swimming as "saving my soul".    I am once again swimming for fitness and for fun with the YMCA Master's team.

I am swimming for my father, I am swimming for myself, and I am swimming for all those who need kindness and compassion in their lives.