An Ontario marathon swimmer recently turned his talent and determination into a fund-raising venture for three London, Ontario pro-life organizations.
John Bulsza, a religion teacher at London’s John Paul II high school completed a 56 kilometre crossing of Lake Huron August 3l-September l. He set out from Port Sanilac, Michigan and arrived nearly 27 hours later the following morning at Port Franks, a small community of 700 just northeast of Sarnia.
Accompanied by a flotilla of l5 people in small beats and Zodiacs, Bulsza stroked through the pliant waters of Lake Huron to become only the third man to make the crossing. At age 46, Bulsza has the distinction of being the oldest man to cross Lake Huron. He also holds the Canadian record for completing the longest swim without benefit of a wetsuit. By foregoing the heat-trapping wetsuit, Bulsza had to guard against hypothermia during his nearly 27 hours in the water.
“I’m relieved that it’s finally over,” Bulsza told The Interim September 3. “After all the preparation and training, it’s a little anti-climactic to have it behind me.”
A member of the University of Western Ontario’s Aquatic Masters Club, Bulsza has taken part in a number of races and distance competitions since the l960s.
Bulsza experienced an air of unreality once emerging from the water at Port Franks.
It was a weird sensation when it was finally over,” he said. He “celebrated” the accomplishment with a long, restful sleep.
