Solo Swims of Ontario Inc.
Hall of Fame
Bob Weir
1950s & 1960s
Lake Winnipeg (1962): 18 miles, 9 hours 57 minutes
Lake Manitoba (1963): 34 miles, 25 hours 10 minutes, aged 20.
Professional Circuit (1964)
- A competitive age-group swimmer in Winnipeg in the 1950s, Bob Weir completed his first long-distance swim in 1962 at the age of 19 when he crossed Lake Winnipeg, 18 miles, in 9
hours 57 minutes.
- The following year, he became the first person to swim across Lake Manitoba, 34 miles, in 25 hours, 10 minutes.
He then spent the following summer of 1964 on the professional circuit, participating in four marathons, including the inaugural 24-Heures La Tuque, a two-person tag-team race, in
which he and his partner, John Lumgair, finished fourth.
1989-1992
Lake Ontario (1989): 28.2 miles (45.3 km), 22 hours 18 minutes.
Toronto Marathon, Running (1990)
Lakes Couchching-Simcoe (1991): 35 miles, 25 hours 8 minutes
- After a 25-year hiatus, Bob's next marathon attempt occurred in 1989, when he became the 27th person to succeed in crossing Lake Ontario, in a time of 22 hours, 8 minutes.
- He followed that in 1990 by running the Toronto Marathon, and then back into the water in 1991 for a combined 56 km (35 mile) conquest of Lake Couchiching-Lake Simcoe in a time of
25 hours, 8 minutes from Washago to Barrie (Photograph on right above). The first attempt, however, was thwarted by a severe electrical storm around Hawkstone yacht club at 3:51 am
when he had completed 32 km of the targeted swim, as reported by the Barrie Examiner on 21 July 1991.
- In 1992, he crossed Lake Erie, 43 km (27 miles), in 23 hours, 41 minutes from Dunkirk (New York state) to Mohawk Point (near Dunville, Ontario). As he approached his targeted finish,
he had to battle some strong westerly winds that were driving hin off course; however, he eventually landed safely on the last point of land to the east of his original target.
- 1993 took Bob to New Hampshire, where at the age of 50 he became the first person to swim the 21 miles of Lake Winnipesaukee (of Golden Pond fame) in 12 hours flat from Center
Harbor to Alton Bay (Photographs above, left and centre). This swim was completed under some very hot conditions (both air and water) and led to a subsequent scientific publication in
a Sports Medicine Journal, Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise.
This link provides access to Bob's personal report that he produced in 1991 detailing his activities leading to the successful Lake Couchiching/Simcoe swim.
SSO & MSO
- Bob became involved with SSO in 1989, and served as its President from 1992 to 2006.
- In 1996, he received the Cliff Lumsdon Award of SSO for his achievements and contributions.
- Bob also competed regularly in Masters Swimming events, and was the president of Masters Swimming Ontario from 1991 to 1994.
Leaside Sports Hall of Fame, Toronto, 2019
- In recognition of his wide-ranging achievements and contributions to both Masters and Marathon swimming, Bob was inducted into the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame on 15 November
2019.
- Anthony Regan compiled a wonderful video for the induction ceremony that involved Bob's wife, Joyce Curry, as the Commentator, along with individual video tributes from Paula
Stephanson and Bryan Finlay.
- Joyce captured the driving force behind Bob's lifetime success in swimming (with a marathon run thrown-in for good measure!). She explained that his secret has not been a matter of
"Conquest" but his ongoing "Love for swimming".
- Bob created his own commentary for the induction ceremony and that material is viewable as a downloadable PDF.
SSO Home Page | Lake Erie Swim List | Lake Ontario Swim List | NOTL Plaque
Cliff Lumsdon Award | Contact WebMaster
Created: 1st October 1999
Last Updated: 8th November 2021
