Its' quite amazing! Toronto man crosses five lakes by stand-up paddleboard with disabilities

Updated on August 27, 2022 14:58 PM by Ava Sara

Mike Shoreman crossed the five great lakes by stand-up paddleboard. He is the former paddleboard coach, now 39, diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome in 2018. He lost some mobility, which ultimately affected his career and mental health.

He volunteered with jack.org, a Canadian organization that decided to support youth mental health, where he started something newsworthy to help the cause.

Crossing the lakes

Last summer, Shoreman first tried crossing Lake Ontario from New York to Toronto by stand-up paddleboard, which also calls the voyage halfway through. Again in October, he started training with a bigger goal of crossing all five lakes.

In late May, the first lake is Erie, followed by Huron, Superior, Michigan, and finally, Ontario. Each crossing had different challenges: Huron was 27 hours, Michigan 28, and overnight crossings. He shared that crossing in the dark with his vertigo and hearing impairment was exhausting.

He is moving to Chicago across Lake Michigan, with 20-knot winds near him. Shoreman had a team with him to guide him through his lowest point and ensure that he was physically and mentally competent along the way. He says, ‘It’s one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done but it’s been the most rewarding thing I can or will ever do.

Finally, on 20th August, Shoreman reached Toronto, where he met with many celebrations. He felt proud and said hundreds of family and friends were waiting for him on the shore. For his mission, Shoreman received $70,000 for jack.org, intending to hit $100,000 as his story spreads.

Shoreman says this is for kids and young people. He felt alone and helpless for the past four years because of his mental health journey. He decided that no kids and young people ever felt like he felt for four years and saw them responding.

He had a video team with him, so he made his journey as a documentary about his experience in the journey at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.