Scott Rees finishes his 30 kilometre, nearly 12 hour swim, on Sunday, July 23 at Piper's Beach in Nanaimo. The event raised over $130,000 for guide dog training and other supports. (submitted photo/Kathy Rees)

By Alex Rawnsley

just keep swimming

‘I didn’t leave anything in the tank:’ blind swimmer completes 30km trek between Sechelt and Nanaimo

Jul 25, 2023 | 10:36 AM

NANAIMO — Despite suffering the loss of his vision, Scott Rees has taken the mantra of ‘just keep swimming’ to a stunningly literal level.

The 39-year-old navigated waters between Davis Bay in Sechelt and Piper’s Beach in Nanaimo on Sunday, July 23, swimming the 30 kilometres to raise money for Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. As of Tuesday morning, he’d raised just over $130,000 after setting a $10,000 goal.

Rees said the organization is extremely close to his heart, with his six-year-old guide dog Kaleb dramatically improving his quality of life.

“Having a professionally trained guide dog to navigate me around…really just getting that independent mobility back. When he’s not working, he’s just a wonderful Labrador Retriever. He’s a big part of the family…we all love him, he’s just a big, goofy Lab who loves to play.”

A genetic condition took away Rees’ vision over a period of time, robbing him of some of his favourite activities like white water kayaking, skiing, mountain biking and even driving.

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He said “one by one your vision picks those off the list” but swimming, especially open water swimming, was one activity he was able to hold onto.

The idea for the race really took shape in late 2022 when Rees committed himself to training.

Beginning in January, he ramped up his swim schedule and ensured he was ready to go. He said he swam around 460 kilometres over several months, usually between 16 or 17 kilometres per week in the pool or sea to build up his tolerance.

Towards the end, training swims increased from between one and two hours, to closer to five hours to work on endurance.

Scott Rees (left) preparing to jump into the water on Sunday at Davis Bay with a member of his support team. (submitted photo/Katrina Wechselberger)

He dove into the water in Davis Bay at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning and began freestyling west in relatively calm seas.

“In the middle we hit some unexpected currents that slowed my pace. They did tell me about a humpback out behind the boat at one point in time so it was pretty cool to be out there in the middle swimming, knowing there could be orcas or other animals in the water.”

Rees avoided the World Championship Bathtub race but admitted he was hopeful of a fast enough time where he’d get to be around them.

He said his support crew comprised of friends, family and supporters in two boats made sure he was safe, focused and motivated. Rees wore a headset meaning others could talk to him during the swim, something he said was a major boost at points.

“I have someone else’s voice in my head instead of just my own thoughts which can be pretty encouraging and uplifting when you’re out there and feeling the pain, but then your buddy’s on the other side of the headset telling you about the fundraising dollars coming in…or sending in some of those particularly nice messages that are coming in.”

Rees began his swim around 6 a.m. on Sunday and finished around dinner time in Nanaimo. He was joined all the way by multiple boats and support staff. (submitted photo)

Rees climbed out of the water around 11 hours after he began and has recovered pretty well from the ordeal.

He told NanaimoNewsNOW his shoulders were “pretty cooked” but his legs felt strong.

“I know I didn’t leave anything in the tank in terms of my shoulder capacity. I feel fine and pretty good from heart and lungs and overall body energy perspective, which is a good sign the swimming, training and feeding schedule I had out there to sustain my energy all worked.”

Rees paid special tribute to not only his support crew, training partners and others who made the swim a reality but also his wife and two young children for encouraging him to do the swim.

Money raised for the organization will go towards the training of guide dogs and other support for vision-impaired people across the country.

Rees said his legs felt good but his shoulders were “cooked” after the race. (submitted photo)

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