Susan Simmons

Susan Simmons

Winds delay Canadian athlete’s Strait of Juan de Fuca swim

Susan Simmons hopes her attempt to make the swim twice in one day will happen Saturday.

VICTORIA — An ultra-marathon swimmer who planned to swim across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and back today has delayed her swim due to winds forecast to be 34 mph.

Susan Simmons said she now hopes that her attempt at becoming the first person to swim across the Strait of Juan de Fuca twice in one go will happen Saturday, weather permitting.

Simmons was concerned the wind forecast for today would blow her off course on the return swim.

Saturday is her first choice now, but the swim could happen Tuesday, Wednesday or later in the month.

She said it’s possible, but unlikely, she would swim this Thursday.

Despite the delay, the swimmer from Victoria said she is excited about making the attempt, which is expected to take about 24 hours.

She has swum the distance before — about 40 miles round trip — but she has never dealt with water that cold — the temperature in August is generally about 53 degrees — for that long.

Simmons — ultra-marathon swimmer, coach, paddler and MS athlete —is a traditional swimmer, which means she wears nothing but a swimsuit, swim cap and goggles, and accepts no aid other than nourishment from her support crew.

“It’s a big swim and I’m not going to say I’m going to make the swim,” she said. “In the case of this swim, it’s never been attempted and — there’s a reason for that.”

Simmons successfully swam from the Dungeness Spit to Ogden Point in Victoria last year, becoming the 13th person to swim across the Strait and the eight person to make it without a wetsuit.

She said that about 10 minutes after exiting the chilly water last year was when she decided she would attempt to swim across the Strait twice in one go.

“I thought ‘wow, I feel so great’ and I took my crew for beer at Ogden Point,” she said. “If I had this much energy after the swim, I can try double.”

Simmons has multiple sclerosis, which is part of the reason she’s attempting the swim.

“When you have MS, it’s better to try to move than not,” she said. “That’s what it’s about is trying to get out there and do things and making the attempts. In some cases we succeed and others we don’t, but it’s about moving forward.”

Simmons expects to land somewhere on the Dungeness Spit at about 11 p.m. the day of the swim. She cleared it with the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards and Customs, and she is allowed to walk ashore until she is knee-deep in the water.

If she goes any farther she would need to go through Customs, she said.

After 10 minutes on shore, Simmons will turn around and start her swim back home.

For more information about her swim, visit withms4ms.com.

Jesse Major: jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com; 360-452-2345, ext. 56250.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Northwest

Alaska Airlines aircraft sit in the airline's hangar at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, in SeaTac, Wash. Boeing has acknowledged in a letter to Congress that it cannot find records for work done on a door panel that blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight over Oregon two months ago. Ziad Ojakli, Boeing executive vice president and chief government lobbyist, wrote to Sen. Maria Cantwell on Friday, March 8 saying, “We have looked extensively and have not found any such documentation.” (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
FBI tells passengers on 737 flight they might be crime victims

Passengers received letters this week from a victim specialist from the federal agency’s Seattle office.

Skylar Meade (left) and Nicholas Umphenour.
Idaho prison gang member and accomplice caught after ambush

Pair may have killed 2 while on the run, police say. Three police officers were hospitalized with gunshot wounds after the attack at a Boise hospital.

Barbara Peraza-Garcia holds her 2-year-old daughter, Frailys, while her partner Franklin Peraza sits on their bed in their 'micro apartment' in Seattle on Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)
Micro-apartments are back after nearly a century, as need for affordable housing soars

Boarding houses that rented single rooms to low-income, blue-collar or temporary workers were prevalent across the U.S. in the early 1900s.

Teen blamed for crash that kills woman, 3 children in Renton

Four people were hospitalized, including three with life-threatening injuries. The teenage driver said to be at fault is under guard at a hospital.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee proposed his final state budget on Tuesday. It calls for a new wealth tax, an increase in business taxes, along with some programs and a closure of a women’s prison. The plan will be a starting point for state lawmakers in the 2025 legislative session. (Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard)
Inslee proposes taxing the wealthy and businesses to close budget gap

His final spending plan calls for raising about $13 billion over four years from additional taxes. Republicans decry the approach.

The Snohomish County Jail is pictured on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
First bills drop ahead of WA’s 2025 legislative session

Permanent standard time, immigration policies and fentanyl penalties were among the proposals pre-filed Monday.

Teslas charging in Victorville, Calif., on March 11. Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla and one of President-elect Donald Trump’s biggest supporters, has said the government should eliminate all subsidies for electric vehicles. (Lauren Justice / The New York Times)
Once a must for wealthy Seattle-area liberals, Teslas feel Elon backlash

For many, Tesla has changed from a brand associated with climate action and innovation to something “much more divisive.”

The livery on a Boeing plane. (Christopher Pike / Bloomberg)
Boeing’s new CEO clips corporate jet trips in show of restraint

It’s one of several moves by Kelly Ortberg in recent months to permanently shrink Boeing’s costs.

Dorian Cerda, who was aboard a plane that caught fire over the Gulf of Mexico, in Lake Placid, Fla., on Sunday. Extreme turbulence, a blown-out door, an engine on fire: For passengers and crew members who have experienced in-air emergencies, the pain endures. (Saul Martinez / The New York Times)
‘Everyone thought we were going to die’: Life after flight trauma

After the midair Alaska Airlines blowout earlier this year, Shandy Brewer has had recurring nightmares. She’s not alone.

Snohomish County Superior Courthouse in Everett, Washington on February 8, 2022.  (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
WA court system outage means firearm sales on hold

Buyers must wait until the Washington State Patrol can access databases for background checks.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson speaks at the Snohomish & Island County Labor Council champions dinner on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Ferguson, WA Democrats prepare for new era of showdowns with Trump

Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson and Attorney General-elect Nick Brown are readying their legal teams.

From left to right, Dave Larson and Sal Mungia.
WA Supreme Court race is incredibly close

Just 0.05% separated Sal Mungia and Dave Larson on Tuesday. More votes will come Wednesday.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.