Can we say that this weekend has been very inspiring for me? Not only is 62-year old Diana Nyad attempting to swim from Florida to Cuba, but Annaleise Carr at age 14 became the youngest person to complete a 31.6 mile swim across Lake Ontario, Sunday. How crazy is that?! I can barely doggy paddle across a regular pool let alone an entire body of water.
Carr wasn't just doing this trek because she wanted to get an intense workout in. Instead she was swimming for a charitable cause by raising money for a childhood cancer center called Camp Trillium. It's great to hear that there are still such giving people in the world and it's inspiring that they're willing to go to great lengths to prove how much they value something.
This dedicated teenager originally planned on raising about $30,000 for the camp, but fared much better than she thought, earning a total of about $80,000. Unbelievable! If I was her I'd call that a feat and she certainly earned it with her hard work.
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Over 50 people have completed the swim across Lake Ontario, but Carr is the youngest to achieve the journey. Coincidentally, Diana Nyad also swam the body of water back in 1974 at the age of 24. Talk about some inspiring women!
But just keep in mind not just anyone can achieve a swim this intense. Carr has been swimming competitively since she was 4 with an expertise in distance swimming. She familiarized herself with the lake as she began swimming there about 4 years ago and then decided to swim its distance to raise money for a good cause.
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Just reading Carr and Nyad's story inspires me to push my limits and do something life changing. Keep them in mind today as you're debating whether or not you want to hit the gym or if you want to push yourself that extra mile. If a senior citizen and a teenager can accomplish the hardest open water swims, you can run that extra mile.
Does Carr's journey inspire you to contribute to charity? Tell us in the comments below!
Image via thestar.com
