Swimmer to cross Lake George in support of Silver Bay YMCA

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - A longtime member of the Silver Bay YMCA on the upper west side of Lake George is taking on a challenge. The goal: $50,000 raised for the YMCA his family has loved for three generations.

Area native Scott Cotten has started a campaign to swim the length of Lake George in support of the Silver Bay YMCA. The swim is planned for the week of Aug. 14-17, with the exact day depending on the weather.

“I learned to swim in Lake George and Silver Bay has always been my first true love, so
being able to swim the length of the lake and raise money to help others to learn to swim in the lake at Silver Bay is a very special opportunity,” said Cotten. “I’m hoping to raise at least $50,000 towards a combination of Silver Camp swim lessons and overall swim and waterfront safety.”

Cotten's relationship to the Hague-area YMCA goes back to 1936, when his grandfather spent time there. Cotten himself met his wife there while they were both working there for the summer. In 1988, the two were married at Silver Bay's Helen Hughes Memorial Chapel.

The swim up Lake George spans 32.19 miles. Cotten has had the goal in mind for years. In 2020, the swimming made it 32 miles across seven days during the Virtual Lake George Marathon Swim. He revisited that same mile count across four days the next year, and just two days in 2022.

On the day of the swim, Cotten will trail a boat provided by Waterhorse Adventures, where crew and rescue divers will keep an eye on him - with a kayaker following alongside him during the night. It's anticipated that the swim will take about 20 hours to complete. It's an achievement that's been recorded 14 times before - and none of those swimmers have done it alone.

“Marathon swimming is what appears to be a solitary sport but in actuality, requires a large
team of people to pull off," Cotten said. "For the swimmer, it’s both a physical challenge but equally a mental challenge. It’s these challenges that draw me to the sport. Somehow doing hard things makes the rest of life easier.”

Donations to the effort will be accepted prior to and during the swim. The first swimmer to make it across Lake George was Diane Struble in 1958.