By Scott Baughman
Patricia Temple is no stranger to hearing the skeptical comments of some of her fellow Lake Lure residents about the water quality of the lake itself. Even before the devastation of Hurricane Helene, she knew that people sometimes cast a wary eye toward the whole body of water. And she also knew that even as the lake is back at full pond and preparing for a grand reopening on Memorial Day, fundraising efforts to help with hurricane recovery need to be ongoing.
So, on May 8 she’s going to try and tackle both problems in one fell stroke. Or perhaps many strokes as she attempts to swim the entire contour of the main coves of Lake Lure on
“With the support of the Town of Lake Lure, Rumbling Bald and in partnership with the Lake Lure Olympiads, I will start and finish at Rumbling Bald Beach with special longer stops at Lake Lure Beach, Lake House, and a few more places,” Temple said.
We asked her five questions about her swim fundraiser to dive under the surface of her efforts.
1. Why did you choose specifically to “swim” the lake instead of kayaking? Or boating or paddle boarding? etc.?
We have been part-time residents at Lake Lure for seven years with the hopes of being full time in retirement. I have done long distance swims in Lake Lure and Bald Mountain lakes many times over the past few years. When I saw the levels of skepticism as to the water quality of the lake after Helene, I wanted to do a swim to convince the naysayers that the water was now clean and safe. Kayaking or paddling would not be as convincing.
2. What kind of previous swim challenge/race/competition experience do you have?
I have done a few open water long distance swims (Crossing of Lake Tahoe in 2024 (12 miles), Bridges to Bluff (TN) (10K), Swim the Suck (Chattanooga) (10 miles), Swim around Charleston (12 miles), the Chesapeake Bay Swim (X2) and many 10Ks swims. I have fundraised for the Navy Seal Foundation 9 years in a row with a 3 to 4 miles swim across Tampa Bay in honor of fallen seals. In June of 2024, I swam the whole contour of Lake Lure (every cove) in 5 stages/days. My husband, Jeff, would drop me off by boat every day where I had ended the day before. This planted a seed for the May 8 event.
3. During your past aquatic adventures, what’s one moment that really stands out in your memory – whether it be a triumphant one or a scary one?
I did not grow up swimming competitively and picked swimming later in life in my 40s as a cross training to my running and later triathlons. I first experienced some panic moments in the open water during triathlon and vowed to overcome that by signing up for more open water swim events and training more in the open water settings. I can now say that I have developed strategies in case panic sets in and am confident now after gaining a lot more experience. I love being in nature and the feeling of being in the water with amazing surroundings. Nothing beats a swim in Lake Lure the first week of November with the fall colors all around and no boats in the water. Pure magic! Crossing Lake Tahoe with its incredible blue water and mountains all around was also pure magic. Whether during training or an event, I always go through moments of self-doubts and sometimes question my own judgement. I am not a very fast swimmer and sometimes experience impostor syndrome but on the other hand I was gifted some good endurance genes. Hopefully they matter most on May 8th!
4. What’s the best possible outcome for you for this swim challenge? What are you hoping comes from it in general and what would be the best of all possible worlds?
The best possible outcome is threefold: 1) Convince doubters that the water is clean and safe 2) Focus on positive and the joy of the lake reopening after Helene – celebrate the hard work and resilience of our community 3) Bring in some donations to the Lake Lure Olympiads who will disburse donations with a priority given to First Responders.
5. How many times have you swum in Lake Lure in years past, during the “before times” were you a frequent bather here?
Too many times to count! Our house is on Bald Mountain Lake and our neighbors and fishermen (who asked sometimes how many times I am going to go around) are used to the sight of the regular swimmer with her pink buoy. I suspect some people on Lake Lure may remember seeing the swimmer with her pink buoy, as well, passing their docks. A few years back in November I was swimming next to a boat house on LL where a man was busy working on his boat. I think he did not expect to see someone in the water next to him and almost fell in the water when he heard “Hello” coming from the water! I have been able to swim in Bald Mountain since spring of 2025, but I miss my swims in Lake Lure and so look forward to the lake reopening.
How Can You Help?
Please follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook @swim4LakeLure as we get ready for the big day on May 8th, and please share with your networks to encourage donations via https://www.lakelureolympiad.org/ (scroll down the page) or https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NHR3 WHMHL
