This June, while most of us will be relaxing at the lake, Y member Lura Wilhelm (center) will be swimming the English Channel. A D1 scholarship swimmer in college, Lura has continued her love of swimming by taking up marathon swims.
Swimming the English Channel is no small feat. The Channel is a 21 mile-long stretch of water, with temperatures only ranging from 56 - 60 degrees. To prepare, Lura practices several times a week with the Sharks Swim Team, continuing even after practice ends, until completing her 5 - 7 mile rigorous training session. Coach Steve Lazaraton (right) has been helping Lura with her training schedule. Swimming the English Channel is just one of Lura's big goals. In addition, she plans to do the Portland Bridge Swim and the Catalina Channel Swim.
For Lura, “The Y gives me a good place to do my thing; allows me to decompress from the day. When I am swimming it’s more like meditation. Anyone can start swimming at any age, swimming is probably the best thing for anyone, one thing I can do for the rest of my life.”
When not swimming, Lura is an art teacher at U-Prep (pictured with one of her students, left), and has completed several murals around town, most notably at Turtle Bay and the River Trail Pump House.