Norman Stark (age 17) of Erie, PA, announced his intent to swim across Lake Erie in July 2014 to raise money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
Asked what motivated him to attempt the 24.3 mile open water swim, Norman responded that he was inspired by the challenges that many brave veterans and their families face every day. Having 3 older siblings in the US Navy, Norman had a lot of exposure to stories of heroic servicemen and women.
The idea of swimming across Lake Erie first came to Norman in a dream in the summer of 2013 when he was only 16 years old.
Erie, PA is the perfect destination for marathon swims because it is almost directly across from Long Point, Ontario Canada and many swimmers have tried to swim the lake here and few have succeeded. Norman’s swim will start at Long Point, Ontario Canada and finish on the shores of Freeport Beach in North East Township, PA (24.3 miles).
On Norman’s website, www.iswimforvets.com, you can catch regular tweets about Norman’s yardage in the pool as part of his training. However, the real training will be in the lake. That is, if it ever thaws!
Posted on April 3 2014 in News