In honour of her late father, Surrey91裸聊视频檚 Jen Soti celebrated her 50th birthday with a sometimes frigid six-hour swim in Harrison Lake.

She swam 15 kilometres Thursday, Aug. 17, followed by a 35-kilometre run/walk on forest roads back to the bay where the swim started earlier that day, at around 5:20 a.m.

Soti91裸聊视频檚 50K journey was done as a fundraiser for Ecojustice Canada in tribute to her father, Jim Keeling Jr., who drowned in Harrison Lake 27 years ago in a boating accident, at age 50, in May 1996.

For Soti, it was a 91裸聊视频渕emorable91裸聊视频� milestone birthday.

91裸聊视频淚 had all these people out celebrating with me so it was certainly a meaningful day, for sure,91裸聊视频� she said later.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW PHOTOS

Soti, a recreation professional, began her swim at Blind Bay, near where her father died, and made her way south to a beach/boat launch about a kilometre from Harrison Hot Springs Resort.

91裸聊视频淭he lake was super kind to me at first, calm,91裸聊视频� she reported. 91裸聊视频淏ut once I passed Echo Island, that91裸聊视频檚 where I was told it gets colder. There were sections that were absolutely freezing, so I was very surprised to feel how cold it truly is, but then it would warm up, which was quite odd. It wasn91裸聊视频檛 cold the entire way, it was just little pockets of it.91裸聊视频�

She knows how dangerous the lake can be.

91裸聊视频淢y father drowned there,91裸聊视频� she underlined. 91裸聊视频淪o all of that went through my head as I was swimming and tried to stay calm in some confused water, too.

91裸聊视频淥verall, it was good and I felt very happy with the swim, which was long 91裸聊视频� around six hours, 27 minutes,91裸聊视频� Soti added. 91裸聊视频淭hat was the longest I91裸聊视频檝e ever swam. I did some long swims at Sasamat Lake (in training), but not that length of time.91裸聊视频�

Soti is a member of the Keeling family that helped build Cloverdale Raceway horse track (now Fraser Downs) in Surrey. Her grandfather, Jim Keeling Sr., was a co-founder of the track, which opened in 1976. In 1980 he gave the reins to his son, Soti91裸聊视频檚 father.

Keeling Jr. was a lawyer by profession and served on the board of Sierra Legal Defence Fund, now known as Ecojustice Canada, the nation91裸聊视频檚 largest environmental law charity.

91裸聊视频� RELATED: .

Soti explains her money-raising motivation and offered updates in , where more than $6,700 has been collected, so far.

91裸聊视频淭hat exceeded the goal, which was initially $2,500 and then I raised it to $3,000, then $6,000,91裸聊视频� she explained.

91裸聊视频淎s my husband said, the money raised was a bonus,91裸聊视频� she added. 91裸聊视频淵ou know, people from my walking group drove from Surrey to Harrison, made signs and brought birthday cake. That support stayed with me, so it was a meaningful event.

91裸聊视频淚 hope to do it again next year,91裸聊视频� Soti said. 91裸聊视频淚 wouldn91裸聊视频檛 do the fundraising but I would probably just make a donation on behalf of my dad.91裸聊视频�

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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