MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!: Disabled paddleboarder crosses all five Great Lakes

 

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!: Disabled paddleboarder crosses all five Great Lakes (msn.com)

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!: Disabled paddleboarder crosses all five Great Lakes

Toronto Sun

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MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!: Disabled paddleboarder crosses all five Great Lakes

Brad Hunter

 

© Provided by Toronto SunMike Shoreman has officially conquered all five Great Lakes on a paddleboard.

 

 

He did it!

Disabled paddleboarder Mike Shoreman crossed Lake Ontario on Saturday, making it five-for-five in his quest to cross all five Great Lakes.

But it was Ontario that hung like a dark cloud over the proceedings. An attempted crossing last summer was derailed by rough waters. This year was different — and he beat his time goal by four hours.

 

Hazel McCallion welcomes Mike Shoreman ashore. SUPPLIED/ MIKE SHOREMAN

 

“And we would have been earlier if we hadn’t hit some rough waters around 6 a.m.,” Shoreman told The Toronto Sun , adding that the winds made things “very, very hard” as he approached Toronto.

When he is not paddleboarding for charity, Shoreman is an author, motivational speaker and ambassador for several major charities. All the money he raised is destined for Jack.org , supporting mental health resources for children.

 

ALMOST HOME! Mike Shoreman in Lake Ontario. SUPPLIED/ MIKE SHOREMAN

 

Four years ago, Shoreman contracted Ramsay Hunt syndrome which triggered issues with his mobility, speech, taste and hearing. Pop star Justin Bieber recently said he had contracted Ramsay Hunt as well.

Now, overcoming incredible odds, Shoreman is the first disabled person to cross all five Great Lakes. And he had to overcome his disability to do it .

• Canadian paddleboarder conquers Lake Superior
• Disabled paddleboarder crosses Lake Michigan; Lake Ontario next
• Paddleboarder with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome conquers Lake Huron

Oddly, Shoreman said Lake Superior, the largest, roughest and coldest of the quintet of lakes, wasn’t as hard because he “had the wind and current with me.”

 

© Provided by Toronto SunMike Shoreman with his paddleboard.

 

He set sail from Youngstown, N.Y., Friday night to begin the 52-km journey and arrived in Toronto on Saturday morning.

“I feel pretty tired but very excited,” Shoreman said. “Sometimes I didn’t think I could do it and lost belief in myself 100% but my team has been amazing and when that happened they picked me up.”

 

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He added: “I worked really hard for this, starting last October in the gym and on the water in January when it was -20.”

As for now, Shoreman said he plans to take a month or so off before deciding what to do next.

 

© Provided by Toronto SunMike Shoreman is pictured during his recent crossing of Lake Superior

 

Before he embarked on his Great Lake finale, Shoreman told the Sun ‘s Liz Braun that his disability actually helped him become mentally strong .

“It’s given me a mental toughness. When you’re in the water for 27 hours, in pain and breakdown mode and having those ‘I don’t think I can do this’moments and your team is like, ‘Yes, you can! Just three more hours!’it becomes a mind thing,” he said.

“And I don’t think my mind was tough enough four years ago. What I went through made me tougher and more of a fighter.”

bhunter@postmedia.com

@HunterTOSun