A Milestone Swim in the Making
A Canadian athlete is closing in on a history-making achievement in open-water swimming. Lev Goldberg, a transgender swimmer, has now completed two of the five Great Lakes after finishing a grueling crossing of Lake Huron this week. If Goldberg completes all five, they'll become the first openly transgender person known to have swum across every one of the Great Lakes.
Why Goldberg Is Doing It
This isn't just a personal athletic pursuit — Goldberg's swim doubles as a fundraising mission. Each crossing is meant to raise awareness and donations for 2SLGBTQ+ youth, a community that often faces higher rates of mental health struggles, homelessness, and discrimination. By taking on one of the most demanding endurance challenges in Canadian sport, Goldberg is using visibility as a tool — showing that trans athletes can excel at the highest levels of physical achievement while directing attention (and dollars) toward causes that matter to queer youth across the country.
The Scale of the Challenge
Swimming across any of the Great Lakes is no small feat. These freshwater giants are known for unpredictable currents, frigid temperatures, and stretches that can take swimmers many hours — sometimes more than a full day — to complete, depending on the crossing point and conditions. Lake Huron, the crossing Goldberg just finished, is the second-largest of the five Great Lakes by surface area, and swimmers attempting it have to contend with variable weather systems rolling in off the water with little warning.
With Lake Huron now behind them, Goldberg has three more lakes to go — Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario round out the list, though the exact order of the remaining attempts wasn't detailed. Each crossing represents its own logistical and physical undertaking, often requiring support boats, medical crews, and months of training to build the endurance needed for hours of continuous swimming in open water.
Representation in Endurance Sports
Open-water marathon swimming has historically been a niche but fiercely respected corner of endurance sport, and achievements like completing all five Great Lakes put a swimmer in rare company regardless of background. Goldberg's push to become the first openly transgender person to do so adds another layer of significance at a moment when trans athletes' participation in sport remains a heavily debated topic in public discourse.
By openly identifying as transgender while pursuing one of the toughest endurance records in Canadian and North American swimming, Goldberg is offering a counter-narrative — one centered on resilience, physical achievement, and community fundraising rather than controversy.
What's Next
Goldberg's journey continues as they prepare for the next crossing. Supporters following the fundraising campaign can expect updates as training and planning ramp up for the remaining lakes. For now, two down, three to go — and a growing spotlight on both the swim and the cause behind it.
Source: CBC News
