SWIM FOR DEBBIE
The journey of a waterman Follow along as seventy year old Nelson Nichols attempts to swim the 15 mile length of the Chatuge Reservoir from North Carolina to Georgia, all in honor of his Niece Debra Bordeos. Nelson chose to attempt this feat in honor of her courage against hardship and to help provide support to the Allied Services Foundation.
By Mike Nichols
6/21/2008
Some Work Best When the Rest of the World is Asleep
It’s 1 a.m., June 14, and Nelson Nichols is restless as he wanders
the house. Although he should be sleeping, the pain from many
years of neck and back injuries keeps him awake. He thinks to
himself that the pain this particular morning is greater than
usual. You see, after four major back operations and eight
inguinal hernia operations, Nelson’s pain is really only bad or
better, there really are not good days and this particular morning
appears to be a really bad day. This is usually not a problem as
he can deal with the pain but today is no usual day, today is the
swim.
You see, Nelson has been training the past few months for this
day. To swim in honor of his niece, Debbie Bordeos, for her
courage against the hardship she has had to endure in her life
and help provide support to the Allied Services Foundation
where Debbie now resides. This swim is not for him, it is for
Debbie. As he sits in the early morning hours, he reminds
himself that no matter the pain he is in, he will be getting in the
cold waters of the Chatuge Reservoir. He will challenge what
these waters have to throw at him in an attempt to swim the
some 15 miles of the Chatuge from its most northern point in
North Carolina to the southernmost point in Georgia. This is no
ordinary feat, rather it is a monumental challenge that Nelson is
determined to take on to swim such a distance non-stop, dealing
with cold water, 125-foot depths, heavy currents, blinding
surface pollutants like gasoline etc., the many fishing and
recreation craft on the lake and just plain trying not to get run
over. Oh, did I mention he is 70 years old!
So there Nelson sits in the early morning hours, in pain and
waiting for the rest of us to awake from our good night’s rest so
he can start the day.
Breakfast Energy
As Nelson’s son I want to make sure he has the best shot at
achieving his goal of reaching the south shore of the Chatuge
Reservoir. Although Nelson is accustomed to athletic
competition, as he was quite the swimmer in his day, that day
was over 50 years ago. And when he did compete it was not for
endurance but 200 yard sprints to the finish that did not required
the same training and nutrition regimen that a marathon event
like this swim will require. One
of my main objectives was to
get Nelson on the right plan to
make sure he has the best shot at
this swim. If any of you are
runners or athletes that have
participated in endurance events
such as a marathon then you
know, when the wall comes, it
comes quick. One moment you
feel great the next you have no
energy and your body is
shutting down. When the wall
does come there is no recovery.
My Goal, make sure Nelson
does not hit that wall! With this I had three major areas of
concern; nutrition, pace and cold water.
I don’t think eating has ever been a problem for Nelson. He
certainly enjoys his food. Plus, he is always active enough so
that his calorie burn offsets his caloric intake, but this was
different, now it was about building up sustainable energy and
tapping quick energy when needed. One of the first measures
was to introduce Nelson to quick energy so he can get used to
this concept during his workout regimen. It quickly became
evident that this concept of energy was a bit foreign to Nelson as
the discussion about gel shots went something like this:
Mike: ―Dad, you need to practice taking gel shots during your
training regimen. For one, you need to become accustomed to
doing this while you are swimming and additionally you need to
find a gel shot that you like. You don’t want to be introducing
something new to your body during the actual swim. Besides,
there are all kinds of flavors and you should find one you like.‖
Nelson: ―What’s a gel shot?‖
Anyway, Nelson picked Raspberry Cream Power Gel and
figured out how to swim and take a shot at the same time.
Welcome to the world of endurance sports, Nelson.
So now, I set off on addressing my concern about being
subjected to cold water for a long period of time. Up to this
point, Nelson was dead set against wearing any sort of wet suit
as he probably viewed it as some sort of modern new fangled
contraption that he did not see necessary. Besides, how many
times did I hear the story of how my dad used to break the ice on
the lake to go practice his swimming when he was a kid up in
Pennsylvania? Really, how did he walk uphill to school and
uphill back home every day, in the snow, no less?
After much discussion, we seemed to settle on a compromise. I
will not make him wear the full ironman’s wetsuit I brought up
for him but he will wear the short 1 mil spring suit that seemed
less constrictive to him. At least I got him in something other
than just his swim trunks, not optimum in my opinion, but
doable.
Speaking of nutrition, the morning has arrived and the swim
support crew is gathering. Nelson seems anxious to get going
but I insist not before a good breakfast. Today, the breakfast
energy is hot oatmeal with brown sugar and a banana. Let’s
make sure he starts out with good sustainable breakfast energy.
Tranquil Beginnings
The morning is quiet, the winds are calm and the sky is clear as
we gather at the northernmost point of Lake Chatuge Reservoir.
The launch spot is just a small parking area just off SR64 nestled
along the mountain highway near Ledford Chapel. It’s good to
start from a church.
There is a scurry of
readiness about as the
small group of close
friends and family
prepare for the start
of the swim. Terry
Preston, Nelson’s
childhood friend,
works on getting his
canoe ready for
portage. Terry insists
on being there with Nelson, although a quick cursory inventory
of his gear leads me to believe he is preparing for the worst.
Really, I hope we will not need that sleeping bag! I am also
going through the last minute check of readiness: GPS – check;
nautical maps – check; food – check; water – check; phone –
check; and an assortment of other items I hope I never need -
check. All along, Nelson goes about being upbeat and excited.
He is lathering in Vaseline, not my doing, someone else advised
him on the Vaseline trick to protect from the cold water. I’m
okay with this as I suspect it will at least help with any possible
chafing which may occur as a result of wearing a wetsuit for the
first time. It’s now 20 minutes before our scheduled departure
and Nelson takes his first shot of Raspberry Cream Power Gel in
preparation for the swim. All systems are ―go‖ for an on time
launch as the countdown approaches 8 a.m. Hey, I had to slip
that one in given Nelson’s NASA legacy.
I think Mom is quiet during this time, as she has made it clear
that she really thinks this is one of the most harebrained ideas
Nelson has come up with. So with an updated life insurance
policy and swearing that there are only two possible outcomes,
either he will end up in the hospital or he will end up as fish
food, she stays calm and reserved as the moment of no return
approaches.
And They’re Off
It’s 8 a.m. and family and friends are growing ever so much
smaller as they stand
and wave from the
shore behind us.
Nelson is off with a
strong freestyle stroke
as we take a south
heading across silk
smooth waters. This
morning the only
waves in the water
are the ones we create
as our ripples radiate out from our position and they eventually
lap silent on a nearby shore. The conditions could not be better
with clear sky, calm wind, smooth water and no boat traffic. As
Nelson would often say, ―The Dream Team, not to be confused
with The Three Stooges,‖ was off. Nelson with a strong stroke
and tons of determination and Terry in his freshly borrowed
canoe. Did I mention that Terry really has not spent much time
in the saddle of a canoe, and me on the Stand Up Paddle board
appearing to be walking on water at first glance, all just minutes
into a long and winding road, Okay, lake.
First Signs of Life
Nelson remains constant in his swim taking little break in his
stroke. Only to alternate occasionally to his breaststroke and
back to the freestyle, a strategy he has employed to take best
advantage of his strongest techniques and to use different
muscle groups for swim optimization. For me, it seems like just
moments after getting started that I feel the heat of the day
already in full force. Although it was early in the morning, I had
already removed my shirt in an attempt to stay cool as the heat
was just beginning to bear down on us. At this point being in the
water and swimming did not seem like such a bad idea. But I am
the first to admit that it would only be for play and to cool off. I
was asked in an interview for The Franklin Press what I thought
my dad’s chances were for completing this swim. Honestly I
gave him a 100% chance just based on his determination. After
that I think I told the reporter I would have given myself a 50%
chance. Well I lied on that one, after seeing what this swim was
really turning out to be, my chances would be way less and I
consider myself a very capable swimmer and of course, I am
much younger.
We must have only been into the swim for half an hour when
that first sound of a roaring engine came from around the comer.
The official lake day had started as we got buzzed by a
powerboat, towing a large rubber banana with two kids
screaming and hanging on for dear life. This would be the first
of many as Lake Chatuge proved to be a very active recreational
playground and probably not the best of choices for a long
distance endurance swim.
Nelson's Old Friend Hector
Those who know Nelson know he is an avid outdoorsman. He
thoroughly enjoys being in nature and all it has to give. Well, on
one of his trips into nature, what nature almost gave was a bite
from a timber rattler that was hanging out on the banks of the
Chatuge Lake near the dam. As Nelson swam past the dam, he
made sure we stopped for a moment to pay our respects to
Hector the Snake, as Nelson has come to refer to his reptilian
friend. Terry and I were glad that this respect was done from a
distance; as we passed the dam to leave it well behind in the
distance. For now, we had our sights set on Penland Island, the
next milestone mark on the route.
Regular Feedings
I really think that Nelson would have done this swim regardless
of the support he may or may not have been given. See the
determination comment I made earlier. With that said, he swims
like Forrest runs, sort of the ―Swim Nelson, Swim‖ thing. If I
was not there to stop him and make him eat and take energy
gels, for which I was calculating even setting my watch to go off
on predetermined increments as a reminder, I suppose he would
have swam until there was no reason to swim anymore. I made
sure he had plenty of liquids, along with electrolytes, sugars and
food along the way. Whether this had any real impact on his
ability to complete this swim is really unknown, but I like to
think I went through all those motions for a reason. Regardless, I
did stop him regularly to make sure he took in energy. Funny
thing is, one of the reasons I chose to support Nelson from a
Stand Up Paddle board is I figured it would make things easier
for him when it came
time to eat. I sort of
envisioned Nelson using
the board as a water
table where he could
swim up and hold on to
the side of the board and
rest for a moment while
he ate and took in some
fluids. Who knew that
when Nelson said he
was going to swim the length of Lake Chatuge that it meant not
touching anything, including my Stand Up Paddle board. Nelson
took every break treading water without touching anything. He
took his gel shots, ate bananas, oranges, and peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches and drank without ever touching anything but
good old lake H20.
Good Luck From the Lake
The day has progressed and Nelson is still swimming strong,
Penland Island is a thing of the past along with several other
landmarks like Brown Island, where we wave at lake party-goers
as they moor their pontoon boats to the island for a day of water
recreation and family picnics. By this time, several hours have
passed and I can only think that many people have already read
the morning paper, ate breakfast and gone through all sorts of
morning routines that have brought them to mid-day. So much
done by so many and yet Nelson has been full on swimming
non-stop for the entire morning. Here we are now past a large
section of lake where the recreation traffic was particularly
heavy. I can only imagine what most of these people are
thinking as they scream past on their powerboats and jet skis
when they see these three oddball figures, a man swimming in
the middle of a large lake, with a canoeist and a guy walking on
water. For real, they must have thought it a bit odd. Even so, we
did have people stop and ask what was going on, and of course
Terry being the jokester could give a straight-faced reply such
as, ―Not sure, I’m just out for a paddle and this old man
swimming keeps following me.‖ But for many it was admiration
and two thumbs up when we explained what Nelson was doing
and the cause he was doing it for. I have to say the Lake was
cheering him on this day!
A Sign From Above
I knew going into this that the lake was a recreation area but
never realized how much it was used, especially on a busy
Father’s Day weekend. It
seemed one of my main
concerns now was not even
one of my main concerns
going into this swim. As to
you recall, the three things I
thought were the big concerns
going in were nutrition, pace,
and cold water. Well forget
everything I told you. Now my sole purpose is to keep Nelson
from getting run over. I really am amazed at how many jet skis
there are on this lake. I felt like, well like a big turd and all these
flies were buzzing around just out to get a little piece. They
would come out of nowhere and buzz right by before you knew
it. It seemed to become ever more important that Terry and I
kept our swimmer in between us and to watch all flanks with me
guarding port and Terry taking charge of starboard.
Then all of a sudden what we originally figured to be a bad thing
happened and it turned out to be a sign from above that I believe
helped greatly in Nelson’s race. The storms moved in, the skies
opened up and it began to rain, and it appears that the only three
idiots that remained on the lake were a swimmer, a canoeist and
a guy walking on water.
No Help from the South
The best laid plans do not always come to be. I think I am
supposed to say something about mice and men here but I really
don’t understand that proverb so forget about that. As part of my
greater plan for support this day, I planned to have a rented
pontoon boat come from the south end of the lake and have it
meet us as we headed south. Well, even though the
thunderstorms cleared the lake, it now prevented me from
having the pontoon boat launch in such storms. No sense of
risking any more on this adventure, besides the support on the
pontoon boats was Stephanie my wife, Mikaela my 5 month old
daughter, my mother, as old as my dad, and her friend Betty,
even older than mom. I really think Stephanie was a bit thankful
for the rain and may have even had a hand drumming it up. Well
that and possibly Terry who seemed to believe some sort of
connection between it raining and Terry’s rain jacket. Long
story here but I will try to make it short. With three people left
on the lake, you know who they are, the swimmer could care
less about the rain, and he is already wet. The guy walking on
water, I was wearing a bathing suit and rash guard that were
intended to be wet. But Terry was in full on docker shorts, t-
shirt, socks and loafers, so every time it started to rain, he would
pull out his rain jacket and struggle to get it on. Once settled in
with his rain jacket in place, the rain would back off and he
would begin the struggle to get it off and tucked away neatly. Of
course this became a vicious cycle and to this day, Terry will
swear that the rain knew when he did not have his jacket on. The
point of this is no support from the south can now be expected.
Welcome to Georgia
Nelson had been going at it for many hours by this time and the
bridge at SR76 was now in sight. I could feel Nelson’s energy
pick up at this point. For one, I think he felt that he had made it
past the halfway point and was now in Georgia waters, and two,
I had called ahead to our pontoon support crew to let them know
that this was probably a great place to cheer Nelson on as he
swam past. As we approached the bridge, I had to laugh to
myself. You see, there was a small fishing boat anchored in
between the first pylons of the bridge, which would have been
the most direct route for him to swim. Now I don’t know
Nelson’s actual thought process here but instead of skirting the
boat on a direct route, he decides to head back out toward the
channel and pass under the bridge several pylons farther away. I
can only figure Nelson being an avid fisherman, he did not want
to disturb these folks chances at catching the big one or maybe
he did not want them to catch the fish of a lifetime, a 70-year-
old swimmer as he heads on his migration to the southern
spawning grounds. Anyway, I had a good laugh with that one.
As he rounded the corner, there they were — our pontoon
support crew high and dry on land cheering and clapping
encouragement. They were willing to throw some sub
sandwiches to us to eat, but at this point I think we had grown
accustomed to our regimen of 0power gel, PB&J, bananas and
oranges that we did not want to break the routine. I had Nelson
take a break for some nutrition. As I turned to straighten some
items on the board I realized that this is where Nelson was on a
mission. I had only looked away for a second and he was
already heading down the lake towards the town of Hiawassee.
Seems at this point, there is no time for rest. I have to remind
him this is not a race. Not sure if this really registers with him.
The Final Stretch
As we pass the town of Hiawassee, there are many homes and
lake cottages. I can hear the voices of people as they sit on their
decks as they look out over the lake while a steady downpour of
rain continues to fall. I can only imagine what these people must
think as a swimmer, a
canoeist and a guy walking on
water head past down the
lake. I am sure it must have
something to do with words
like crazy or idiots.
At this point, it is getting late
in the afternoon and Nelson
still has that same
determination he had as when he entered the water at 8 a.m.
Only at this point it is becoming much more evident that the
hours and hours in the water are starting to take its toll. Nelson
starts to indicate that we must be getting closer to the
headwaters because he is feeling the cold. He does not want to
admit that it may have something to do with being subjected to
cold water for close to nine hours and his core temperature is
starting to react. The body’s way of protecting its vital organs
when cold is to start shutting down non-vital parts such as legs
and arms to protect the vital parts. This is the first stage of
hypothermia and what people don’t realize is that hypothermia
is not limited to freezing temperatures. Long periods in cool
water can have the same effect. This is what Nelson was starting
to experience; the water was no cooler from where we got in at 8
a.m. as it was at this point in the swim. It was his body starting
to say enough is enough; I am going to start protecting my vital
organs.
I See the Steeple
When the swim started in the morning we left from a Chapel.
Well it is good to end at one as well. We rounded the last bend
in the lake and about a mile away, you can see standing high on
a hill the Macedonia Baptist Church Steeple. This was it, the
swim was almost over. Nelson was still moving along at a good
pace but it was clear that he had given it his all. By this time, he
had lost use of his left leg due a newly-developed groin pain, so
his breaststroke looked a little ragged. The reach on his freestyle
was not as crisp or out-reaching as it was when he first started
the day. But given all this, he was still going. At the point he
saw the church steeple, he calmly said to Terry and me that he
figures since this was the home stretch that he should probably
finish it out with a good butterfly stroke. Now, I would have
really been impressed if he actually did.
As we approached the take out point, many friends and family
were there to cheer Nelson on to finish in style. Good friend
Mark Hollis was running down the road beside Nelson yelling,
―Go ’Canes.‖ Others were also there to lend a hand as Nelson
arrived at the end of his swim only to suffer the worst injury of
the day. After all that, Nelson stubs his toe on a rock climbing
out of the lake. You have to wonder if that is all the lake could
do in return for its defeat of allowing this 70-year-old man to
swim the breadth of its waters.
Celebration
With champagne and cheers, we all gathered around in the
shadow of the steeple to congratulate Nelson on his
accomplishment. And more
importantly to reflect on the
reason for this swim, to
honor Debbie and the
challenges she has had to
face and overcome over the
years, and to raise awareness
to the Allied Services
Foundation and all it is doing
to help not only Debbie but
thousands of others who need help day to day. This was an
amazing accomplishment by dad and I hope it brings inspiration
to others that there is more to give than just money: you can give
of yourself.
For those who gave your support to this cause, thanks from all
of us.
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