2024-06-28 06:23:09
RILEY COUNTY (KSNT) – Melodee Liegl is causing a stir in Kansas after swimming across one of the state’s largest lakes.
At the age of 57, Liegl completed many challenging swims across the country, both in lakes and in the ocean. list of accomplishments includes a 27-mile swim from Grand Forks, ND to Oslo, MN and a 36-mile swim from Belmont Park, ND to East Grand Forks, MN.
With that impressive track record under her belt, the Delafield, Wisconsin, native set her sights on conquering the waters of one of Kansas’ largest bodies of water: Tuttle Creek Lake. The lake is recognized as the second largest in Kansas, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
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Liegl told 27 News that while it wasn’t as big of a deal as some of her previous swims, she still had to do a lot of preparation before the attempt.
This involved scouting the water in advance and finding people to accompany him in the boat.
“With such a distance, it’s not very safe to do it alone,” Liegl said. “I’m used to a lot of people living near lakes, but Tuttle Creek is pretty quiet. »
Liegl’s daughter Regan Nugent, a recent Kansas State University graduate, answered the call for help. She and three other K-State students offered to watch over Liegl as she completed her descent of Tuttle Creek.
“She is so passionate about swimming that I want to be able to find something like that that I can be passionate about in my life,” Nugent said.
Liegl said she first wanted to try her luck at Tuttle Creek about three years ago. Always looking for new challenges, she noted Tuttle Creek as a good option for long-distance swimming while her daughter took classes at the nearby university. She finally made the trip to the water’s edge at the dam for the work around 5 a.m. on Monday June 24.
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In total, the swim took Liegl seven hours. The total distance covered was 13.9 miles. A marathon in the water is considered a distance of 6.2 miles, making the distance he swam across Tuttle Creek longer than a double marathon.
“I felt good afterwards,” Liegl said.
Liegl said she prepares for swimming challenges like this by jumping in the water several hours a day. The day after swimming across Tuttle Creek, she said she was back in a gym pool doing what she does best.
“I swim almost three hours a day, so my training is pretty good,” Liegl said. “Early in the morning. People don’t know what they are losing by not getting up early. »
Liegl’s swim in Kansas was recorded by Nugent, who said she had to keep an eye on her mother the entire time. She noted how fast her mother was moving and her location using longitude and latitude throughout the challenge.
This was my second swim where I was on the boat and part of the crew,” Nugent said. “She gave me a list of things to do.”
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The biggest challenge Nugent and Liegl faced was the large amount of driftwood in the form of tree branches that they had to avoid. Nugent said she helped her mother navigate these water obstacles and threw her food and bottled water when needed, since Liegl couldn’t touch the boat while swimming.
Swimming has remained Liegl’s passion since 2008, when she started taking on challenges like this. Swimming gives her the opportunity to push herself and do something she truly enjoys.
“I would say I’m a little obsessed with swimming,” Liegl said. “It’s fun, it’s something I look forward to. I swim so much that I’m ready for most of the swims I do. It’s the highlight of the summer to do a swim like this.”
Liegl said she wanted to thank other members of the boat’s crew, including Jonathan Oury, Cody Gieber and Juana Ayala, for their help. She also said Wildcat Marina’s Kathy O’Malley was instrumental in helping her prepare for the swim.
(Top left to bottom right) Melodee Liegl, Juana Ayala, Regan Nugent, Jonathan Oury and Cody Gieber. (Photo courtesy of Regan Nugent)
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