A resident from the Municipality of Bifrost-Riverton embarked on a personal motivational challenge last month to go the distance in the pool while raising money for CancerCare Manitoba.
Samantha Hampton completed a 30-kilometre swim (about 19 miles) in support of cancer research and services for those battling cancer.
The 30-kilometre swim was tantamount to someone swimming across Lake Winnipeg from Gimli to the east shore near Grand Marais.
Hampton said she used to play water polo and decided to dip her toe back into the pool by embarking on a five-kilometre fundraiser for CancerCare Manitoba after seeing the organization promoting a swim challenge for the month of November.
But she turned five into 30 kilometres when she realized she could break barriers, swimming farther and faster with subsequent pool time.
“I’m honestly blown away; completing 30 kilometres in 30 days didn’t feel possible at the start. My first swim was 25 laps — and I was proud of that — then I hit 45, then 75. Eventually, my highest session was 115 laps,” said Hampton. “When I started, it took me four minutes and 38 seconds to swim 100 metres. By the end of the month, I had cut that time almost in half to two minutes and 22 seconds.”
Seeing the numbers on the page “shocked” her. In total she completed 1,200 laps.
“It’s proof of how hard I worked and how much progress someone can make in a short period of time,” she said.
What started out as a personal challenge became a three-generation challenge with Hampton’s dad, Derek Hampton, and her daughter, Sophia, wanting to get into the swim of things. Hampton and Sophia swam at the Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex in Winnipeg where Hampton met her 30-kilometre goal and where Sophia logged pool time between her schoolwork and sports activities. Her dad swam over five kilometres at the Kinsmen Sherbrook Pool in Winnipeg.
Together, Hampton said they raised over $500 for CancerCare, contributing to a provincial total of $701,227.
“They feel grateful, proud and genuinely happy. We set a family goal of raising $350 and together we passed $500,” said Hampton when asked how her dad and her daughter felt about contributing to cancer research. “It meant a lot to all of us to contribute in our own way. For my dad and for Sophia, it wasn’t just about the laps: it was about doing something meaningful together and being part of a bigger cause.”
Hampton said swimming has benefits for every age. The low-impact exercise is ideal for seniors, serves as great conditioning for adults and acts as a confidence-builder for youth. And she also discovered another benefit that people might normally associate with something like yoga.
“Something I discovered through this challenge is how uniquely quiet swimming is. It’s just you, your lane and your thoughts. I try to stay focused on my breathing, but, inevitably, the rhythm of the water gives me space to think,” said Hampton. “It became an important part of my mental health — a full hour of uninterrupted time that I didn’t realize I needed. The first 40 laps are always the toughest, but once you break through that barrier, you almost reach a cruising altitude where the next 60 seem to happen on their own.”
Speaking of going farther, Hampton said she spent considerable time on the highway driving from the RM of Bifrost-Riverton to Winnipeg and back. Each swim day required a three-hour round-trip journey because “we don’t have a local indoor pool.”
The RM of Gimli has an outdoor pool as does the Town of Arborg. But the closest indoor swimming facility that offers public swimming times is in Selkirk.
“It’s a real shame we don’t have an indoor aquatic facility in the Interlake. We need a pool that serves all age demographics for fitness, rehab, family programming, swim lessons and leisure. An accessible year-round aquatic space would benefit this entire region,” said Hampton. “This challenge really highlighted how much potential there is, and how much need there is, for something local.”
Even though the drive is a real slog, Hampton said she’s going to continue on with swimming. She got to know regulars at the pool and the lifeguard would always ask how many laps she completed.
“It feels like I’m forming a little community there,” she said. “I’ve also reached out to the Manitoba Water Polo Association about joining an adult recreation team. I played 20 years ago and loved it, so why not jump back in?”
