While scores of swimmers may take a trip across the width of one of Keuka Lake’s branches each summer and up to 150 will do so this week for a fundraising event, one woman has outdone them all, swimming the length of the lake in one day.
Swimming the 20 mile length of Keuka Lake, Susie Troll walked out of the water at Red Jacket Park, Penn Yan on Tuesday evening, Aug. 5.
She was greeted by 20+ extended family members, gathered from seven states (New York, Alaska, Texas, California, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Virginia).
The Trolls and members of the Hart, Leibig and Smith family all have roots in Painted Post and Corning.
The reunion had been planned and Susie wanted to do something significant to celebrate her 50th birthday. She said: “I have good family memories of Keuka Lake and I knew I would have support.”
Starting at 6:15 a.m. at the Keuka Maid, near Hammondsport, she embarked on her 12-hour swimwith an escort of two kayaks, one pontoon boat, one coach and five support team members.
Her swim coach was no ordinary coach. Penny Dean once shattered the record for swimming the English Channel in 1978; swimming the arduous crossing in seven hours.
“Having Penny along made a big difference because when she checked her pace and said she was doing great, Susie could put a lot of confidence in that assessment,” explains Terri Troll, a sister and a support team member.
When asked what she had done to prepare for the swim, Susie spoke about 12 mile training swims and running marathons.
During the Keuka swim, she drank water and ate G4 Energy Gel.
“I hit the wall several times with body and mind. I have run marathons but this was different. Mentally, this swim was much harder,” she said.
The next day, Wednesday Aug. 6, the members of the youngest generation all swam across the lake for the first time, continuing to create memories of Keuka Lake.
