Wasaga Beach brothers Jake and Josh Burella are training to tackle the swim of a lifetime.
The 22-year-old twins completed their first side-by-side endurance swim, a 16-kilometre trek from Wasaga Beach to the Collingwood Terminals dubbed the GB16, in the summer of 2018.
Now, two years later, they plan to double it.
The brothers have committed to attempting the feat — which is just as mentally demanding as it is physically — in order to raise much-needed funds for youth mental health in the South Georgian Bay area.
Dubbed the GB32, the fundraising swim will tentatively take place in August, with a goal of raising $100,000 for Jack.org.
However, with an uncertain summer ahead, the brothers have had to rethink if and how the open-water swim would even be possible. Jake and Josh both strongly believe in the importance of the cause, so as long as social distance restrictions allow, they decided nothing would stop them from swimming this summer.
“Maybe now more than ever, it’s important to do something like this,” said Josh. “Even if we can’t host a fundraising event at the pier while we swim, we are still going to swim.”
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Jake and Josh were swimming approximately 30 kilometres a week at the Brock University training centre, where Jake was finishing up a BsC in Medical Science. However, the pandemic put a halt on any normal training regime moving forward.
“Due to the current circumstance, we’re not able to train the same amount of volume as usual,” said Josh. “The temperature of the bay has also hindered the amount of training we have been able to do in the open water.”
Instead, the brothers are focusing on building up their endurance and mental resilience through long-distance runs, cold plunges in Georgian Bay and breathwork efficiency. Surf the Greats, a surf lifestyle company based in Toronto, donated wetsuits for both of the brothers, and they hope to be swimming in the bay at least once a day by the end of the month.
Jake and Josh’s determination is admirable, and even amid endless unexpected roadblocks, their confidence hasn’t wavered.
“Our preparation for the last swim was nowhere near as informed or strict as it will be for this one,” said Jake. “When it comes down to it, as long as our physical fitness and our efficiency in the water is relatively high, it really is just a mental game.”
The mental aspect of long-distance swimming is what drew the duo to the sport in the first place. Prior to their training two years ago, neither Jake nor Josh have ever been competitive swimmers, though they have always enjoyed playing sports.
They started swimming laps as a way to stay in shape — a form of friendly competition between brothers. As they got more into it, they realized firsthand the benefits swimming had both physically and mentally.
“There are highs and lows and everything in between when you are in the water for that long,” said Jake. “Even with two of us in the water together, you are alone. You’re in complete silence, complete darkness, you are on your own and you have to battle through it.”
“So you just take it one stroke at a time to get to where you want to be,” added Josh.
The brothers completed the GB16 in just over nine hours, in a wetsuit and without any proper navigation. A shift in the weather hit halfway through the day, and exhaustion and seasickness were among the many challenges the brothers faced the first time around.
“There are definitely a lot of added challenges when it comes to swimming in open water,” said Jake. “But those are all things expected to happen, so you just have to be mentally prepared for an absolute battle.”
Despite their satisfaction and initial exhaustion after the GB16, it didn’t take long for the twins to start scheming for their next feat.
“At first we were like right, well, we are never doing anything like that again,” laughed Josh. “Then a couple weeks go by and you start looking back on the whole event and the time swimming in the water, and you just get so pumped up about it.”
Once they set their sights on another swim, they knew they would have to bump up the battle.
“Swimming 16 kilometres in a wetsuit is good, but 32 kilometres without a wetsuit, that’s badass,” said Josh.
That’s why they teamed up with Jack.org to set a “badass” fundraising goal to match.
As of now, the twins plan to swim in August, beginning between 10 p.m. and midnight on a Friday evening. If all goes according to plan, they hope to reach the terminals 14-16 hours later.
“This is something that is important to us, because we know we have the potential to do it, but it’s also an event that can really bring the community together and shed light on a really important cause,” said Jake.
Even if the community can’t physically be together, Jake and Josh hope people will consider donating and supporting the cause in any way they can.
And while the duo is determined to finish, they said they are smart enough to know if they reach the point where it becomes dangerous. Both brothers are being diligent, reading up on how, when and what to eat, what the symptoms of hypo- and hyperthermia are, and any other curveballs that could be thrown their way on the day of the swim.
“At the end of the day we know our bodies better than anybody. We’ve set this goal for ourselves because we feel it is something we are capable of doing,” said Jake. “If we leave gas in the tank and don’t end up completing it, it would be pretty heartbreaking.”
This year, they have the added benefit of a safety boat sticking with them throughout the swim. If restrictions allow, Kevin Johnston, the owner of Collingwood Adventure Voyages, has donated his time and boat to be with the brothers the whole way.
Despite still so much unknown, neither Jake nor Josh have any intention of giving up. The twins are being supported by their friends and family, including their brother Lukas Burella and friends Cole Martin and Tate Funston, with whom they co-founded their company Primitive Patterns.
Primitive Patterns focuses on the mind-body connection, inspiring others to appreciate the power of their bodies, mind and the universe, and both brothers practice what they preach.
“It’s a chance for us to show the community that we aren’t a business that cares about revenue and dollar signs. We care about creating cool events, helping our community and showing people that we care about the community we belong to,” said Jake.
For more information or to donate, visit the GB32 fundraising page.
