Peach-fuelled Vancouver swimmer Jessi Harewicz braving Georgia Strait
30-km swim from Sechelt to Nanaimo could take 12 to 16 hours depending on conditions
Vancouver swimmer Jessi Harewicz is getting into a flow as she works towards crossing the Georgia Strait, fuelled by canned peaches and pure will.
"She's gotten into a rhythm now," said friend and crew-member Emily Van Gulik after 33-year-old Harewicz had been swimming for two hours.
Van Gulik is helping feed Harewicz sugary energy boosters, fruit or small hunks of peanut butter and jam sandwiches.
"She'll kind of scarf down whatever we've got for her kind of floating along," said Van Gulik who is also providing updates on Harewicz's Facebook page.
The swimmer's father said, so far, he doesn't believe the chilly conditions have affected his daughter in a major way, despite the fact she is not wearing a wetsuit.
"When she comes up for the feeds, if I don't get it right, I get an earful!" said Richard Harewicz, who often paddles beside his daughter. "That is how I can tell."
Harewicz is attempting to become the third woman to ever to swim across the Georgia Strait according to the B.C. Masters Swimming Association.
Her efforts come as the sport of open water swimming gains popularity with cold, dark and unpredictable conditions a selling point.