Keewaydin Point and Carry Beach in Wolfeboro are the start and finish points of a two-mile swim completed on Sept. 1 by 67¾-year-old Alexis Wallace. She dedicated the swim to the mission of the Lake Winnipesaukee Association to raise awareness for Keep Winni Blue!
At approximately 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Wallace, a grandmother of six, began what she calls her FOLA – “Fat Old Lady Athlete” – swim. She, her husband Jeff Wallace, and volunteer Doug Breskin, took the canoe from her house to Keewaydin Point in Winter Harbor. With air temperatures in the low 60s, Alexis took off for her two-mile swim down to Carry Beach, followed by her husband and Breskin, who patiently paddled alongside her while keeping a watchful eye over the water.
This morning was a typical one for Lake Winnipesaukee: water as clear and still as glass, a slight breeze that rustled the leaves of the vibrant trees, and a sky lit in many colors and painted with clouds. The beauty and simplicity of the lake on mornings like this remind us of how lucky we are to live and recreate here.
Around 1.5 hours later, Wallace arrived at her finish line two miles down the shoreline at Carry Beach, marking the accomplishment of her 2020 FOLA Swim. As a member of the LWA, she decided to dedicate her swim to the Lake Winnipesaukee Association’s mission to keep Winnipesaukee clean and clear, raising funds for the organization through Facebook and directly on the LWA website.
“I am at an age where I care deeply about future generations,” she said. “This is our family’s 73rd year on the lake. Currently the fifth generation of our family is enjoying Lake Winnipesaukee, and we want to make sure that the lake quality stays pristine for our children and grandchildren.”
You can support this 67-year-old woman’s swim to Keep Winni Blue by making a donation to the Lake Winnipesaukee Association at winnipesaukee.org. For more information on the work of the Lake Winnipesaukee Association, please email mail@winnipesaukee.org or call 581-6632.