Meet the swimmer trying to break a world record on Okanagan Lake

Kelowna ultra-endurance athlete, Nick Pelletier, has already accomplished extraordinary feats that many of us would not even dare try.

Among his impressive achievements are cycling across Mexico and paddle across Okanagan Lake.

Now, fueled by a thirst for new challenges, Nick is setting his sights on yet another awe-inspiring endeavor. He's preparing for his third attempt to conquer Okanagan Lake through a grueling swimming expedition.

His ultimate goal is to break the existing world record: 40 hours, 57 minutes, and 11 seconds, established in 2016.

The 106-kilometer journey will start at the northern portion of Okanagan Lake in Vernon, and finish in Penticton.

“I’m feeling good physically," he told Kelowna10 during his final preparation for the big attempt. "I've been about as fit as I'm going to get. So I'm just kind of waiting to go right now.. Mentally I’m feeling good. Been doing a lot of training out there [in the lake] and just getting into that mindset now, and just finishing off the last little logistical things and just excited to get going.”

During his mammoth challenge there will always be one pontoon boat in the water, and a second boat shuttling Nick’s crew every eight hours to provide fresh support. There will also be two kayaks accompanying him, one for sighting purposes, and the other to deliver food from the main boat.

In his previous attempts in recent years , Pelletier faced challenges. During his first try, he experienced chafing from the wetsuit, leading to skin damage and hypothermia. In the second attempt, he changed wetsuits to fix the chafing but encountered a shoulder and wrist injury, leaving his fingers numb and unable to continue.

However, this year, he's been focused on making the necessary changes that look to make a significant difference.

“I've been preparing a lot more shoulder strengthening stuff, it's just been a lot bigger structure wise for training, and swimming,” he explained. “Hopefully, with the wetsuit being figured out for chafing and the stronger shoulders and everything, this will be the year.”

Pelletier openly admits that his greatest fear revolves around not fulfilling his true potential. Despite an impressive track record of intense achievements, he views them as stepping stones towards even greater feats. He also encourages others to adopt this formula for greatness, believing that anyone can use their past achievements as a platform to reach new heights and accomplish remarkable things in their own lives.

“You can utilize these same launches that you learn in ultra-endurance throughout any aspect in your life and they can be used in anybody's life. It doesn't have to be an athlete,” he said. “It’s just a personal challenge and reach my potential and inspiring others to find their Okanagan Lake swim and tackle a goal.”

The gruelling journey begins August 1st- 3rd and will be raising money for the Canadian Mental Health Association with a goal of $10,000.

Donations can be made online.