In honour of his late father, marathon swimmer Sean Nuttall recently completed a 100-kilometre swim across Lake Ontario and back to raise funds for brain research at the University of Toronto’s Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Nuttall’s father, a criminal defence lawyer in Toronto, died five years ago after a brief struggle with a neurodegenerative disease that doctors were unable to identify.
“Having grown up in Toronto, I have a lot of respect for the University of Toronto, the Tanz Centre and what they do,” Nuttall told U of T writer Deanna Cheng before embarking on the swim last weekend. “I’m hoping this swim inspires others to dream big while also supporting a wonderful cause. Every little bit helps.”
Nutall swam from Toronto to St. Catherine’s and back non-stop, marking the longest unassisted open-water swim in Canada or by a Canadian. He did not use a wetsuit or flotation devices and completed the journey in 42 hours, according to the Toronto Sun.
