When it comes to the Island Swim, there really are “old” masters and “new” masters.

For much of the four plus decades that the Island Swim has been part of the Sudbury Fitness Challenge, Masters Swimming Sudbury has consistently ranked among the largest contingent of supporting athletes.

The 2026 edition of the race, hosted this past Sunday morning at Moonlight Beach, was no exception, as the 40+ crowd outnumbered the below 39 grouping in the combined 1km/3km field by a count of 34-29 – even if last minute registrations might have altered those numbers slightly.

And while some long-time members of the local masters swim club boast years and years of experience in tackling the race that was hosted for quite some time at Lake Nepahwin (Laurentian Beach, to be specific), newcomers to this party are more than welcomed to join in the fun.

Few, however, might do so with quite the same aquatic connection as John Dow.

As in the grandson of one Richard Godfrey Dow, mayor of the town of Copper Cliff from roughly 1959 to 1973, named to the Order of Canada in 1981 – and the man who is honoured via the long-standing swimming venue that is the R.G. Dow Pool.

“We were there for the opening day in the seventies (December 14th, 1971 – if Google is to be believed),” said Dow, now 60 years old and taking his first shot at the Island Swim just one week after competing in his first ever triathlon in Bruce Mines (Copper Town Triathlon). “I remember my cousin was part of the swimming demonstration at that time.”

“It was a little bit of a family affair.”

For as much as comfort with the water has been part of the mix for John Dow dating back to his youth – “I grew up going to Dow Pool twice a day” – the truth is that from a quasi-competitive standpoint, he was more diver than swimmer.

It was only after returning to Sudbury following a quarter century hiatus away, 17 years of which were spent in Montreal, that Dow veered off towards a regular commitment of joining those who think nothing of completing lap after lap after lap in a setting all of 25 metres in length.

“Sudbury Masters is just a wonderful group of people,” said Dow. “And once you start with them, they can keep you busy doing a lot of other things – like this race and triathlons. It’s a lot of fun.”

No argument from 72 year old veteran of the scene Amanda Hey, who checked the Island Swim off her July to-do list for something like the fifteenth time since she made her way to Sudbury in 1986. That, of course, came after the Australia-born now retired physician and her family moved to England and then shuffled off quickly to Kamloops (B.C.), where Amanda was raised.

Somewhat reluctantly introduced to the valuable life skill via swimming lessons early on, Hey took to tackling laps in the pool some time during her university studies – but it is her ties with Masters Swimming Sudbury that have most stood the test of time, with more than two decades under her belt.

“I have never been a competitive swimmer but I saw the masters as a group to help me along,” said the still-spry septuagenarian who joined Maureen Moustgaard in carrying the torch for the 70+ crowd on Sunday (according to the list of registrants that we received).

“Swimming is just a very forgiving sport” – from the standpoint of physical demands.

That more relaxed approach to this entire undertaking emerged as a prevailing theme as Hey shared on thoughts on several aspects of the day, including the entry to the water and race conditions on Sunday.

“I always start at the back because I know I am one of the slower ones,” she said with a smile. “And there is usually a flurry of activity at the front. Today, the temperature is beautiful, both air and water – and the water is calm. This is a really nice course, very visible.”

And once she enters the water, there is plenty to occupy the mind of the northern athlete who managed to complete the 1km trek just a few months after breaking her wrist. “One of the things I find about swimming which is nice is that it’s very contemplative,” said Hey. “Once you get the breathing relaxed and the stroke, you get to go through your grocery and shopping list and what you plan to do during the day.”

“It isn’t stressful out there at all.”

Following were the top five swimmers in a few of the different categories that were contested on the weekend:

1 km - Women
1st - Brooke Herranen - 15:48
2nd - Charlie Gatien - 16:15
3rd - Abigail Ethelston - 16:49
4th - Christine Kovalchuk - 16:52
5th - Erin Ethelston - 16:53

1 km - Men
1st - Hudson Green - 13:27
2nd - Daxton Hester - 14:59
3rd - Noah Snider - 15:26
4th - Mike Commito - 15:48
5th - Jacob Guillet - 16:19

3 km - Women
1st - Tamara Flannigan - 53:59
2nd - Violet McLean - 55:19
3rd - Genna Howard - 57:16
4th - Julie Falvo - 59:36
5th - Courtney Vendramin - 1:02.48

3 km - Men
1st - Owen McLean - 51:08
2nd - Jeff Paul - 51:37
3rd - Neel Mathur - 57:52
4th - Clinton Lahnalampi - 57:53
5th - Lawrie Oliphant - 57:58