CARRY ON SWIMMINGLY
COURTESY OF MELODEE LIEGL
Motivations may vary, but the outdoors provides common ground for resolute achievements ANDREA ZANI
For those who undertake adventures in perseverance, it often is as much about the journey as it is the end result. Three athletes recently pursuing outdoor challenges of different sorts and in different seasons would likely find themselves in agreement on that. Despite the demands of their exploits, these determined individuals discovered that the beauty of the outdoors can make any journey memorable.
Melodee Liegl
Marathon runners are familiar to most, but how about marathon swimmers? That’s exactly what Melodee Liegl of Milwaukee considers herself — and last summer, she logged the water miles to prove it. Liegl lives in Delafield, part of Waukesha County’s “Lake Country,” where she completed numerous long solo swims in area lakes as she sought outdoor challenges for herself during COVID-19. Swimming up to 11 miles at once, Liegl totaled more than 100 miles and 50 hours in the water over a three-month period for what she called her “20 Lakes in 2020” challenge. She added even more miles on other swims in embracing her own version of lake life.
Feting feats of
Conditions can “change on a dime” Melodee Liegl said of swimming in Lake Michigan, where she has competed in two long-distance relays.
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