Annaleise Carr, 14, Youngest Person to Swim Lake Ontario
Last fall, a young Ontario girl named Annaleise Carr visited Camp Trillium for children with cancer and was so moved that she asked to volunteer — but at 13 she was too young to help. Instead, the toothy girl from Norfolk County decided to raise money for the camp by becoming the youngest person to swim across Lake Ontario.
As sunset faded into Sunday evening, the 14-year-old girl approached Marilyn Bell Park, on Lakeshore Drive in Toronto. She touched the wall just before 9 p.m., then turned around and hugged her swim coach, Lisa Anderson, who accompanied her on a Zodiac boat. While dozens cheered and applauded, she climbed up the pier, was wrapped in a towel and hugged by her family. A few minutes later, she sat on a lawn chair and was checked by Mark Ghesquiere, a doctor who had followed her by boat with a support team. She was then taken to hospital for a more thorough checkup. Her support team said she was exhausted but otherwise fine. It had taken her nearly 27 hours fighting high waves, cold current and leg cramps.
Her parents, Jeff and Debbie Carr, recalled in an interview that they had first opposed to her project but now smiled with pride as they described Annaleise as a determined, altruistic youth.
Before her big swim, she swallowed a thermometer pill, a device first developed by NASA to monitor body temperature on astronauts. The pill’s wireless transmission enabled Annaleise’s support team to make sure her core temperature remained stable. She also had a light on her swimming cap to remain visible.
After a one-day delay because of high winds, she set off on Saturday, at 6:17:10 p.m, from Queen’s Royal Park in Niagara-on-the-Lake. She was initially helped by the push from the Niagara River’s current but soon was slowed by wind. Waves began getting higher and higher, reaching 1.5 metres. For hours, she also faced a 10-knot head wind and the water temperature cooled to 13 degrees. The weather was better through Sunday but she began cramping in the afternoon and a physiotherapist on the boat prescribed stretching exercises.
Which of the following is TRUE about Annaleise’s parents?
AThey sent her to the camp 1n summer.
BThey accompanied her to the hospital.
CThey trained her for the hard crossing.
DThey objected to her swim at first.
