Distance swimmer raises money for Polson child
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Swimming in Flathead Lake is one of summer’s pleasures, but distance swimmer Emily von Jentzen takes swimming seriously.
Von Jentzen dipped her toes in Flathead Lake at approximately 9 a.m. Sept. 5 at the Somers boat launch and swam for 24 hours.
She’s making this swim to raise money for Polson native Isabella “Bella” Allred. The 5-year-old was diagnosed in August 2013 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Bella is now eight months into a two and a half year treatment for the cancer. She’s had two long stays in a Spokane hospital, and now the family makes bi-monthly trips to Spokane.
“Our fundraising this year will specifically be used to pay any medical expenses not covered by insurance, travel for treatment, and associated expenses. The foundation also hopes to assist with the purchase of a softer bed for Isabella. The chemotherapy causes Isabella’s joints to hurt and she complains her bed hurts her body even worse because it is so hard. A softer bed would hopefully ease some of this pain,” von Jentzen said on her Enduring Waves Foundation website.
This is von Jentzen’s fourth swim to raise money for children with serious medical issues. The first swim in 2010 came about because of a challenge from another athlete. A triathlete, von Jentzen was coaching at the Missoula YMCA, and one of her clients was an athlete training to swim a relay across the English Channel. Talking about lake swims, he dared her to try Flathead Lake.
Since she didn’t want to swim the lake just so she could brag about it, von Jentzen was looking for a fundraiser when she saw a flyer at Staples about “a tiny little girl who had leukemia.” The girl’s name was Karmyn Flanigan, and von Jentzen dedicated her 18.5-hour swim across Flathead Lake to Karmyn. This began her chain of ultra marathon charity swims.
The third person to swim across Flathead Lake and the first women, von Jentzen joined Paul Stetler, 1988, and Ken Stevens, 2005, as part of that elite group. Mark Gilbertson swam across in 2012.
Since 2010, von Jentzen completed a 50-mile swim of Lake Chelan in Washington in 2011 to raise money for Katelyn Roker. In 2013, she completed a 24-hour swim in Canyon Ferry Lake near Helena for Carter Hasselbech. The 3-year-old needed a service dog, training for the dog and veterinary costs.
Von Jentzen and her friends formed the Enduring Waves Foundation in 2013 to make it a 501(c)3 non-profit, making it easier for businesses to donate money.
It’s no easy task to do an ultra marathon swim. Von Jentzen said there are between 20 to 30 volunteers on swim day, following her in the boat, preparing food and snacks for her, running the GPS, texting and tweeting. Also there’s lots of preparation, and even all that preparation can’t second guess the weather, the wind and the waves.
For Isabella’s swim, the Price family donated the use of their houseboat, The Abraham, and volunteered to drive the boat. This will keep volunteers out of the weather and with a kitchen, allow crew members to warm tomato soup, chai tea or hot chocolate for von Jentzen.
Von Jentzen also has a couple of weeks of vacation to relax and recover after the swim.
“I love where this has taken myself and my supporters,” von Jentzen said.
To donate, go to enduringwaves.com and click on Isabella or send a check to Enduring Waves Foundation, P.O. Box 475, Helena, MT 59624.
