Raising money for cancer support group motivates swimmers

ELLSWORTH – As the wind picked up and the swells grew, Darcey Bailey stood knee-high in Green Lake Sunday afternoon and silently thanked her training efforts.

“We practiced at Brewer Lake and I had whitecaps out there,” Bailey said to the crowd gathered on Jenkins Beach.

A minute later, the 38-year-old aquatics director of the Bangor-Brewer YWCA walked deeper into the green-black water and took off into the lake, swimming strongly into the waves.

No sweat. After all, what’s a little rough water when you’re raising money for a breast cancer awareness and support group?

Bailey and 12 other swimmers each swam the 21/4 miles between Jenkins’ and Violette’s beaches in the Beach to Beach Swim for Breast Cancer, the proceeds of which went to Caring Connections, a cooperative program of the YWCA and Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

The event kicked off at 6 a.m. and wrapped up at 6 p.m. when Olympic gold medalist Jenny Thompson walked out of the water at Violette’s Beach after swimming the final leg of the event.

Gary Isherwood, who works in customer service for Sandollar Spa and Pool and is an assistant swim coach for John Bapst High, swam the first leg, from Jenkins’ to Violette’s. Mark Clements of Sandollar and and Dave McIntyre of Bangor split the second leg, from Violette’s to Jenkins’. The relay went back and forth from there.

Official times weren’t kept but Isherwood timed most of swimmers in around one hour and 10 minutes.

Thompson, a 10-time Olympic medalist, drove up from her home in Portsmouth, N.H., early Sunday to take part in the swim. She signed autographs before and after her swim with her signature and a smiley face.

Thompson’s appearance was special for the women who are part of the Caring Connections program. Several of them jumped into Green Lake to swim the last 100 yards with the Olympian. The survivors were given pink flowers when they emerged from the water.

“I think it’s wonderful that she’s here,” said Trish Madison of Milford, who had her last chemotherapy treatment Dec. 19. “It’s just unfortunate. It’s too bad that we need this.”

Although she hasn’t had anyone in her life touched by breast cancer, the swim meant something to Thompson because her mother is currently battling esophageal cancer.

“When I heard about he opportunity I jumped at the chance to help out in the local New England community,” said Thompson, who blazed through in about 54 minutes, the top time of the day.

“I know what it’s like to go through it as a family member,” she added.

UMaine swimmer Krystal Fogler had the best time of the non-Olympians, finishing in just over an hour.

“I thought it was a great opportunity to help people by doing something that I love,” said Fogler, whose parents watched her swim from the pontoon boat. “I’m used to swimming for long periods but not at all in the open water, not really knowing where you’re going and having to watch a boat.”

Jessica Madden, who was a two-year UMaine captain, went right before Fogler and registered a time of about 1:02 – not bad for a sprint specialist.

Black Bear coach Jeff Wren also participated, but he was a last-minute fill-in. UMaine swimmer Sarah Guerette was supposed to swim in the relay but she broke her foot Saturday.

Other relay swimmers were Stephanie Peavey, Bailey’s training partner and a Boston Marathon and Ironman competitor; Sandollar employee Charlie Sargent; Sarah Guerette’s father Dan Guerette; former John Bapst swimmer Julie Hancock; and Bangor High student Jodi Simpson, who works at Sandollar.

Isherwood, who organized the Beach to Beach, said about $5,000 was raised in in-kind gifts alone. Organizers were a little disappointed at the turnout, which they attributed to some overcast skies.

“I just wanted to have an event and give some money to [Ro LeGasse, who works for Caring Connections] and she can turn it over to the ladies who will use it the best way they can,” said Isherwood, who lost his mother and his wife’s grandmother to breast cancer.