Lakeshore Advance, 2012-07-04, Page 112 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Famous swimmer's grandson to take on Lake Huron
4) Kloss to swim
from Michigan
to Grand Bend
SMI Agency
Twenty years after his
grandfather's record-set-
ting, treacherous swim
across Lake Huron, Lon-
doner Jason Kloss plans to
leave another family record
in his wake.
Dick Kloss, turning 70 in
August, was the oldest per-
son to swim across the lake
in 1991, and this Aug. 26,
his 23 -year-old grandson
intends to become the
youngest.
The younger man's moti-
vation behind the 65 -km
swim is more than an
attempt to carve another
record into the Kloss family
tree.
"Lake Huron has been
close to my heart since I was
a little kid. But this swim
allows me to bring two
things together -- my grand-
father s legacy and
fundraising for cancer
research," said the former
competitive swimmer.
Moss is fundraising for the
Canadian Cancer Society
with his swim, aptly named
Kloss 2 Cross 4 Cure.
"My grandmother is a
breast cancer survivor and 1
have multiple friends whose
parents have battled cancer.
So I knew I had to do
something."
Kloss started training last
December -- without tell-
ing a soul about his plans —
after a decade-long hiatus
from the Huron Hurricanes
Aquatic Club in Vanastra.
"The first time 1 got back
into the water was painful. l
did six laps and was burnt
out but I kept doubling it,"
he said.
When he finally revealed
his plans to his grandpar-
ents, Roberta Kloss thought
her grandson was entertain-
ing a "pipe dream"
"I soon realized Jason was
serious and completely
determined. It's as if I'm
meeting a new grandson.
When he was a young
teenager, 1 didn't know he
had so much compassion in
him," she said.
The young Kloss trains
with his grandfather every
Sunday in open waters at
Wallaceburg, doing every-
thing from flutter kicks to
practising how to eat while
in the water. During his
swim, which Kloss antici-
pates he will complete in 27
hours, he will have to swal-
low liquid concoctions of
painkillers and fruits from
plastic cups held by volun-
teers on inflatable boats.
Roberta Kloss recalls her
husband's swim back in
1991 with painful intensity.
She watched her then
50 -year-old husband enter
the water in Port Sanilac,
Mich., and waited in Grand
Bend for the 36 hours it took
him to complete the swim.
"It was terrible. Terrible
for tne, at least. I didn't
sleep the whole time, mak-
ing the mistake of listening
to the radio as they
described every time Dick
disappeared in the stormy
waters."
The lake was particularly
choppy that day two
decades ago, with four -me-
tre -high waves.
Submitted photo
They're the Tops
Londoner Jason Kloss plans to follow in the wake of his grandfather's record-setting swim across Lake
Huron In August
She said she couldn't be
prouder of her grandson rais-
ing for a cause that hits home,
as he plans to swim the same
route, from Port Sanilac to
Grand Bend, on her husband's
70th birthday.
Kloss 2 Cross 4 Cure is
looking for more volunteers,
boats and donations, with
information available at
kloss2cross4cure.ca.
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