Swimmer to attempt Lake Erie crossing

Weather permitting, Alex MacKinnon will attempt to cross Lake Erie from Sturgeon Point, N.Y., to Crystal Beach today to raise money and awareness for the fight against Crohn’s and colitis.

The 38-year-old Guelph man set a target for himself of seven hours to cross the 20-kilometre stretch of open water.

MacKinnon’s dad, brother and coach will be in a boat cruising alongside him, guiding his way back to Ontario shores.

Growing up, MacKinnon flourished in the sport of water polo. His skill in the pool earned him a scholarship at a university in West Virginia, where he played water polo and was on the swim team.

But only over the past couple of years has he ever considered attempting to cross a Great Lake.

He, his brother and sister all suffer from Crohn’s, a disease that involves inflammation in the lining of one’s gastrointestinal tract, which disrupts the body’s ability to digest food, absorb nutrition and eliminate waste in a healthy manner.

“It’s not visual, so if you’re in pain or what not, sometimes people might think it’s fabricated,” MacKinnon said, speaking of his own illness.

“It’s also not a very pleasant thing that anybody really wants to talk about — your digestive tract and everything — which means it gets pushed to the back a little bit.”

The swim is part fundraiser and part raising awareness about these diseases. All the money raised will benefit Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.

Rasheed Clarke, spokesperson for the charity, said public awareness of these diseases is a big challenge for both the organization and for individuals affected. The diseases are not well understood, and sometimes the symptoms are brushed off or toned down.

“Because we’re talking about digestive diseases, they can be sometimes downplayed to ‘I’ve had a stomach flu before, so I can relate,’” he said.

“We’re talking about autoimmune diseases, which are much more severe, much more impactful on people’s lives.”

Having someone like MacKinnon raise awareness of Crohn’s and colitis helps spread understanding, and this in turn helps clear up misinformation, Clarke said.

According to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, Canada has one of the highest rates of Crohn’s in the world. One in 150 Canadians live with Crohn’s or colitis.

“It’s amazing how many people know somebody who is inflicted by it,” MacKinnon said.

“It is a very debilitating disease.”