Having already conquered Lake Ontario, an open-water swimmer from Toronto is setting his sights on Lake Huron.
Lev Goldberg told Sarnia News Today the next leg of his ambitious quest to swim all five Great Lakes will cross the second largest one.
"I'm planning to swim across Lake Huron, from the USA to Canada; Port Sanilac, Michigan to Port Franks, Ontario," Goldberg said. "That's part of my larger goal of swimming across all five Great Lakes. Last year, I swam across Lake Ontario and I became the first openly trans person to do that."
Goldberg's goal is to promote inclusion in outdoor and athletic spaces, and raise funds for queer youth services.
"Last year we raised over $18,000 total and that helped to cover the cost of the swim, because it's quite a logistical undertaking, and in addition to covering the cost of the swim we raised over $7,000 for LGBT Youthline," Goldberg said. "This year, we're hoping to do something similar. Right now we just surpassed $10,000 on our fundraising goal."
Goldberg hopes to give LGBT Youthline even more money this year.
"It's a peer support organization for 2SLGBTQ+ youth throughout Ontario, where youth can reach out and speak to other youth who staff the support line, who share their lived experience," Goldberg said. "It's a really good resource, both for the youth accessing support and also for the youth being trained to provide that support, gaining those skills and connecting with each other."
Goldberg estimates the 55 kilometre journey will take about 30 hours to complete.
"I've been training for about 16 weeks, although I still swam in my offseason," Goldberg said. "My biggest week of swimming was about 16.5 hours of swimming total, which was a lot more than I was able to do last year. So, my fitness has improved, my stamina has improved, and luckily I live in Toronto, very close to Lake Ontario, and so that's where I do the majority of my training during the summer season."
Depending on weather and current conditions, Goldberg will attempt the swim between August 1 and August 7.
"We're looking for, first of all, a day that is safe to go," Goldberg said. "When there are no thunderstorms, when the winds are not so [strong] that they would cause a problem with our boats. We have three boats with us. We're also looking for relatively favourable conditions, although if it's a safe day to go but it's not ideal... I will obviously still go."
Goldberg said he's not the fastest swimmer, and although vessels will be nearby, the swim is unassisted and he can't leave the water or touch the boats.
"I have one large lead boat, it's actually a scuba diving charter, and then we'll have two small inflatable zodiacs, and I'll have a team of about 12 people with me. I'm bringing a safety observer, my coach, my swim manager, people to drive and switch off to relieve each other so that people can rest," Goldberg said.
More details about the swim, and a link to donate, are posted at levswimslakes.ca
"I'll be posting updates when we're leaving, when we're planning to land, I'll be posting a GPS tracker if folks want to follow along," Goldberg said. "So, if there's anyone near Port Franks and they'd like to come to the end, that's totally an option. It's just important to note that if I'm coming out of the water, nobody is allowed to touch me, no matter how much it looks like I'm struggling, because I need my ankles to clear the water before anyone comes near me."
Goldberg said it took him 24 hours and 25 minutes to complete the 51 km swim across Lake Ontario in 2025.
