Islanders take to chilly April waters in support of Special Olympics
Islanders showed support for Special Olympics athletes this weekend despite the strong winds and big crashing waves.
About 90 people took to the waters off Dalvay by the Sea on Sunday for the annual polar plunge put on by the The Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics, which raises money for things such as programs and travel costs for Island athletes.
“It was bitterly cold. It felt like you had knives stuck to your feet. It was that cold,” Lynda Hunksarowicz said.
“My brother, an Olympian, and we’ve been doing it for the last, oh god, 12 years.”
People who took a cold dip in the North Shore waters paid a fee, with all the money going to funding athletes.
Islanders showed support for Special Olympics athletes by taking to the sea near Dalvay by Sea despite the strong winds and big crashing waves. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/PEI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#PEI</a> <a href=”https://t.co/t7wWuO6Bmk”>pic.twitter.com/t7wWuO6Bmk</a>
—@TonyDavisCBC
Janet Bradshaw is a Special Olympics coach. She waded into the water for the seventh year in a row this weekend, but saidShe’s starting to get used to it.
She stated, “I didn’t find it any more difficult than the other years.” said. “The photographer was one year on an ice flotilla taking pictures.”
Organizers have raised over $23,000 so far. said.
It gives athletes so many opportunities to travel and see things they’ve never seen before. Bradshaw said, “It’s incredible.” said.
Const. Kristi MacKay, chair of The Law Enforcement Torch Run, was in the water twice Sunday, once with her Charlottetown Police colleagues and once with a friend.
She saidSurf was quite aggressive. A ground search and emergency team arrived in dry suits on the scene to deal with any possible problems.
MacKay says that taking a dip into the water in April might not be a polar dip.
She stated, “Lots and lots of people give the gears about it,” said. “But, I’m telling ya it’s cold. I am freezing. I can hardly even speak here … it’s two degrees with a minus temperature this morning, we had snow when we woke up this morning. It’s cold.”
To achieve as much physical separation as possible, the dip was broken up into 15 teams. Each team entered the water at a different time.
MacKay saidParticipants who don’t wish to “brave all the conditions” have until the end to take part virtually.
SourceCBC Sports
