I was an honored guest today in Harrisburg at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building, as State Representative Tim Kreiger (57th District) and State Representative Eli Evankovich (54th District) were kind enough to have my efforts acknowledged on the House floor for the charity work that Team Forever has accomplished through the Forever Fund at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh!
It was an amazing experience, as the aura of the magnificent architecture of the Capitol Building, coupled with the political regimen was simply incredible. I was also able to stop by and speak with State Senator Don White (41st District) who had previously honored my efforts with a proclamation from the Pennsylvania State Senate. It was really special that my parents were able to attend with me as well…
The 2012 marathon swimming season is already on its way with swimmers across the globe beginning to conquer different channels. It has been an absolute blessing to continue networking other athletes, and establishing the connections which will hopefully yield many wonderful adventures into the future! Whether it is Penny Palfrey’s Cuba-Florida attempt, or Jamie Patrick’s adventure swimming Tahoe 360 attempt, 2012 is sure to be another great year of adventure!
My schedule has been mostly determined, with the Strait of Gibraltar in May (with Jen, Michelle, Kim, Jamie and Ollie; please reference my prior posts for the information!), Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in June and the Red River Swim in North Dakota in July. The Tsugaru Channel in Japan has not been 100% confirmed yet, so I am asking everyone to keep their fingers crossed for an opportunity to visit the Land of the Rising Sun! There is also a possibility for a Lake Tahoe (California) attempt in early-August. I am planning 2-3 LONG Pennsylvania lake swims this summer (there are so many great ones across the state) so you are welcome to join me if you wish, for a long adventure in one of our amazing lakes!
I have been swimming at Keystone Lake for over a week now, and although it will be getting colder again over the next few days, I hope to continue swimming outdoors! It is very difficult to go back and forth from the low-50s in Keystone, to the low-80s at LA Fitness. Looking forward to getting plenty of training and coaching in the open water this summer, as I want to bring as many people as I can out to the lake to train! Anyone looking to do some open water training is welcome to join me anytime.
Take care-
Darren