First Female Ever To Swim Across Lake Michigan
TWO RIVERS, Wis. (WWJ) - A Wayne State University grad student is hoping to make a splash in the record books. Ashley St. Andrew began her swim on Wednesday to try to become the first woman to swim across Lake Michigan's mid-section.
St. Andrew began her 50-mile swim from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, near Green Bay, to Ludington. An All-American swimmer in college, she subjected herself to months of intense training for the journey, including intentional sleep deprivation.
"Just going out in a terrible condition, pulling an all-nighter and then having to go swim in the morning, I will be swimming pretty much for two-days straight," said St. Andrew.
St. Andrew said there won't be any lane markers to help her swim straight, making her trip even harder.
"Even just practicing, I had a rough time staying straight," said St. Andrew. "My swim from Holland to Grand Haven was one of the stretches that I did and even trying to stay straight then, given how bad the currents and the waves were, it's very difficult."
If all goes well, St. Andrew will reach Ludington Thursday evening. She is also raising money for a local cancer organization, The Lacks Cancer Center at Saint Mary's Health Care.
