YOUNG AND SPEEDY

Alex Buehlow of Bright, Ont., a small town about halfway between Kitchener and Woodstock, will be competing to get into the Lake Ontario swim record books this summer at the opposite end of the age scale — as the youngest male swimmer to go the distance, and also the fastest. The 18-year-old, who is autistic, will be entering the water Aug. 12, hoping to beat the current record for youngest male swimmer to cross Lake Ontario, held by Canadian Gregg Taylor, who made the swim Aug. 13-14, 2003, in just 19 hours and 23 minutes. Buehlow also hopes to best the fastest time for crossing, currently held by John Kinsella, an American who swam the distance on Aug. 16, 1978, in 13 hours, 49 minutes. Buehlow’s route will start in Niagara-on-the-Lake and take him to Marilyn Bell Park. Buehlow told the Star he is swimming six times a week, for one- to two-hour periods, to get ready for the lake swim. One of the toughest challenges, he thinks, will be “siting . . . trying to figure out where I am and where I need to go.’’ He’ll have three pacers with him. Buehlow will also be raising money for the registered charity Three to Be, dedicated to raising awareness of children’s neurological disorders and funds for research.

The young swimmer said he wanted to support the charity because “I have autism, which is a neurological disorder, and I kind of thought that raising money for awareness would be a good idea.’’

He started swimming with a club at age 7 and training with a coach at 9. He was also a member of the 2010 Team Canada Special Olympics Worlds in Athens, where he won one gold and two silver medals. Valerie Hauch