The Cathy Brooks Swim Angel Program has been established to accommodate swimmers who would like to swim in the event but, for reasons ranging from disabilities, to medical conditions, to even fear of swimming alone, would not otherwise be able to participate.
About Cathy Brooks: Cathy Brooks first swam Bring on the Bay in 2015, accompanied by Jeff Mackwood, a long-distance swimmer from Ottawa. Although Cathy was capable of swimming the distance, she felt unsafe doing so due to her epilepsy. Jeff quizzed her about her condition and how it would affect her if she had a seizure during the swim. Jeff, a qualified lifeguard, assured her he could safely help her if it happened. He encouraged her to register, and she did.
Cathy and Jeff swam the event side by side. She finished in 1:29, a minute under her predicted time. She was so happy to finish. Over a post-race coffee, she became even more joyful over what she had accomplished, and deservedly so. Jeff said that he had never experienced a more satisfying feeling in his life. He was so thrilled that he had helped her achieve this goal.
Jeff decided to make this experience available to others. He approached race directors Richard Pessah and Judy Andrew Piel and offered to create and run a swim angel program. They quickly and enthusiastically accepted, and just like that, Bring on the Bay became one of the most inclusive open water swim events in the world.
Cathy Brooks passed away suddenly in 2023. Her determination, energy, and ambition were an inspiration to all who were fortunate enough to have known her. To honour her memory, the Swim Angel Program will now be called The Cathy Brooks Swim Angel Program. Her accomplishments are a testament to her perseverance and strength of character. The Cathy Brooks Swim Angel Program offers anyone the opportunity to participate in Bring on the Bay, regardless of what they might think are limitations. Our skilled, experienced, and trained swim angels can help swimmers safely realize their dreams. We feel that this is a fitting legacy in memory of Cathy.
About the Program: A Swim Angel is someone who swims alongside a swimmer to provide an extra measure of confidence and safety needed for them to be able to participate. These would be swimmers who, for whatever reason, are physically able to complete the race but could (or would) not do it (safely) without having an angel present. If required during the race, the angel provides reassurance and encouragement to their swimmer in order to help them to avoid anxiety and to be able to finish the race. If the swimmer needs to be pulled from the race, they will provide immediate assistance until a nearby kayak/boat arrives. All Swim Angels are experienced open water swimmers who receive specialized training prior to the event.
If you feel that you need a swim angel in order to participate in and finish the swim safely, please choose that option when completing the registration. You will be contacted by one of our Swim Angels, who will discuss your specific needs in order to pair you with the most appropriate swim angel. You will be required to participate in a pre-race swimmer – angel training event to be held at the Nepean Sailing Club from 18:00-20:00 on Monday July 6th (the Monday before the swim). You will be introduced to your assigned Swim Angel and you will both do some in-water swimming together at the swim’s start area, under the supervision of our Arch-Angel, and a Lifesaving Society instructor.
If you have interest in becoming a swim angel or you would like to swim with the aid of a swim angel, please contact: BOTBangels@gmail.com
Thank you to our sponsor, MyFloat!
MyFloat is one of the main sponsors of the Cathy Brooks Swim Angel Program. This open water swim accessory was designed and distributed in Canada, The MyFloat inflatable dry bag, designed and distributed in Canada, floats behind swimmers, tethered to an adjustable waist strap. Its bright colour (pink or yellow) makes it clearly visible to boaters, an important safety feature in open water swimming.
All swim angels are required to swim with a MyFloat. We would like to thank MyFloat for their generous donation of several floats over the past years of the program. Get yours here: @getmyfloat.com.
2015 testimonial from Shelley: “…. thank you and all the others for an excellent Bring On The Bay swim with swim angels. That was such a great adventure—I’ll be back next year, for sure. I’ll even try to convince more blind swimmers to join in!”
See full note here.
BOTB 2023 Globe and Mail article on the Swim Angel Program: Read here
Bring On The Bay 