This Fall, Toronto-based lawyer and world-recognized open water swimmer, Robert McGlashan will attempt 3 swims to raise money for mental health charities. The swims will be a grueling test of mind, body and spirit as Robert swims 35-kilometres to raise $35,000 for mental health.
The Swims include an 18 km swim in the UK, a 16 Km swim around Angel Island in San Francisco and a 1 Km swim across Cherry Beach in winter.
The swims are in water that is rough, unpredictable and 3 of the most difficult open water challenges in the world. Robert will donate proceeds to MIND (UK) and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) (Canada) on World Mental Health Day on October 10, 2024.
Robert will donate proceeds to MIND (UK) and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). His partners at Reeves Richarz LLP will be matching donations up to $10,000.
Robert McGlashan
Robert is on the board of an environmental organization dedicated to cleaning up and protecting the Great Lakes. Robert is also an elite open water swimmer who has swam across Lake Titicaca (Bolivia), the Straits of Magellan (Chile), Bonifacio Channel (Italy), the Alcatraz Island (USA), the Bay of Naples from Capri to Naples (Italy) and swam over 25 hours across Lake Geneva from Switzerland to France.
During an 8-day period in November, he established the Cold Crusade. He completed a 1.5 km swim on November 16th in 1.8°C water in 20 minutes and an Ice Kilometer swim on November 23rd in 3°C water in 15 minutes 35 seconds, both in Lake Ontario.
All the while, he helps Madhu Nagaraja administer GLOW and support the growing open water swimming community of Lake Ontario.
His schedule for 2021 and 2022 includes Swimming Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, Angel Island, Beagle Channel in Chile and Cape Horn in Chile as well as the 45.9 km and his Cold Crusade.
Gallery
2019 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nomination
McGlashan was nominated for the 2019 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year award with the following nomination:
Robert McGlashan is an inspirational stalwart in the Great Lakes Open Water Adventures community that he co-founded in Lake Ontario, Canada. In addition to his mentoring and administration of the growing community of ice swimmers, winter swimmers, open water swimmers, channel swimmers and marathon swimmers in Canada and throughout the Great Lakes region, McGlashan achieved an impressive number of swims around the world in 2019. He swam from Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, 3.9 km across the Strait of Magellan in Chile, 7.5 km in Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, the 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli in 9 hours 53 minutes, 50 km in Lake Geneva from Switzerland to France in 25 hours, and established the Cold Crusade where he swam 1.5 km in 1.8°C water in 20 minutes and 1 km in 3°C water in 15.35 minutes 8 days apart in Lake Ontario. For working to promote, mentor and support the growing open water swimming community year-round in the Great Lakes region, for working towards more challenging goals around the globe and documenting his journey, and for establishing a new ice swimming charity event for Shelter Movers in Canada, Robert McGlashan is a worthy nominee for the 2019 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year.
- On 15 March 2019, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Aquatic Park in San Francisco Bay, California.
- On 1 April 2019, he completed a 3.9 km swim across the Strait of Magellan in Chile in 1 hour 6 minutes in 5-6°C water.
- On 11 May 2019, he completed the 7 km Nadando Cerca del Cielo swim in Lake Titicaca, Bolivia in 2 hours 26 minutes in 12°C water 3,810 meters above sea level, organized by Patagonia Swim.
- On July 2019, he completed a 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli in Italy in 9 hours 53 minutes.
- On 5 August 2019, he swam 50 km across Lake Geneva from Switzerland to France in 25+ hours in the LGSA Signature swim.
- On 16-23 November 2019, he completed the Cold Crusade, a series of Ice Kilometer swims: 1.5 km on 16 November in 1.8°C water in 20 minutes and 1 km on 23 November in 3°C water in 15 minutes 35 seconds in Lake Ontario, Canada.
- On 8 December 2018, he swam 1.35 km in 29 minutes 44 seconds in 1°C water and -4°C air temperature at GLOW Beach in Lake Ontario, Canada.
- In 2018, he help co-found Great Lakes Open Water (GLOW) with Madhu Nagaraja.
- On 3 September 2018, he swam 16 km across the Bonifacio Channel from Rena Bianca (Santa Teresa di Gallura) in Sardinia to Punta Sperone in Corsica, Italy in 5 hours 24 minutes.
- In 2020 he swam a second Cold Crusade, a challenge to swim as many Ice Kilometer swims and Ice Miles in as short a recovery period as possible to raise money for the Swim Drink Fish that helps raise awareness about the preservation of the Great Lakes.
- In 2020, he swam 15 km in 15 degree water from GLOW Beach in Oakville to Burlington Beach.
- In 2021, Robert completed crossings of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.
- In 2022, Robert completed a double crossing of the strait of Magellan. This was the first time it was ever attempted or accomplished by anyone.
- Robert swam 17.1 km across Lake Tahoe in 15 degree water at 6,225 ft above sea level in 7 hours and 16 min.
- He serves as the Vice President – Legal of GLOW or Great Lakes Open Water adventures in Lake Ontario, Canada.