wimming Contest

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

While the Baron and his fiancée, Lady Angela, were visiting England, they took a tour of the English coast and stayed in Brighton, a seaside contest.

They were informed that many swimmers crossed the channel and they were well rewarded by fame and popularity for their achievement. The distance was some twenty miles and each swimmer had a boat nearby in case of an emergency. The boat was to provide meals for the long swim.

The Baron liked the idea of the swimming contest and thought that it was something they could offer on Castle Lake in Lilliland. Since Castle Lake was 20 miles long and 7 miles wide, it would lend itself nicely to a swimming contest.

Later, when the Baron returned to Lilliland, it was decided to have a swimming contest across Castle Lake. It would be a seven-mile distance from start to finish.

Notices were sent out for contestants to register. To qualify, they must be in good physical condition and demonstrate the ability to swim for at least four of the miles in Castle Lake. The contest officials would provide two boats for each swimmer. The winner would be the first person to swim the course in the briefest time. There would also be prizes for everyone who finished the swim regardless of the time that it took.

The day of the event came and it was a beautiful summer day. There were 20 contestants who had qualified for the contest. They all started by spreading out at least 40 feet from each other so they would not swim into each other. The contest started at 7 a.m. and was expected to last all day long. The people brought picnics and watched the contest. Each swimmer had two boats near them at all times in case of an emergency. One lifeguard was in each boat.

When the contest was over, all but five of the 20 contestants finished. Swimmer’s cramps caused five swimmers to stop.

The Baron gave awards to all who finished the race and a grand prize to the person who had the best time.

Everyone enjoyed the contest and it was decided to do it again next year.

The Baron spoke about the swimmers in England who swam the English Channel and thanked them for the idea behind this event.