When Jill Yoneda steps into the water for a marathon swim she knows for certain two things are ahead based on her past experiences sa国际传媒� physical pain and deep emotions.

In 2017, she went swimming sa国际传媒渙n a whimsa国际传媒� from Port Angeles to Victoria. The next year she did 76 km across the Georgia Strait (and back), raising more than $16,000 for Canuck Place, B.C. and the Yukonsa国际传媒檚 only pediatric palliative care provider.

So she dives into the waters of the Salish Sea on Aug. 9 knowing the next two days will be gruelling. The Saanich woman will attempt to swim from Brentwood Bay, through Sampson Narrows and Porlier Pass to land at Jericho Beach in Vancouver to raise funds and awareness for Canuck Place.

sa国际传媒淯ntil my body absolutely stops, Isa国际传媒檓 going to keep doing it for them,sa国际传媒� she told Black Press Media.

Now 22 surgeries in, the Saanich woman is accustomed to pushing her body beyond its limitations. 

Yoneda was an avid scuba diver until she got decompression sickness. While healing from the injuries, doctors discovered the likely source of the illness sa国际传媒� a hole in her heart sa国际传媒� and advocated dropping the sport.

With the allure of the sea still calling, Yoneda discovered freediving, and she was good at it. 

A former member of the Canadian national team, Yoneda is a three-time national record holder. Her deepest dive went 200 feet and could hold her for breath five minutes 35 seconds, in dynamic apnea  sa国际传媒� a type of training used by freedivers to improve their breath-hold abilities while swimming horizontally sa国际传媒� she swam sixth lengths of a pool or 150 metres.

Yet the danger still existed. Faced with quitting she said sa国际传媒渇orget it.sa国际传媒� 

sa国际传媒淪o in 2010 they fixed the hole and I went even deeper.sa国际传媒� 

Near the end of her freediving career, she was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. Dr. John Sun put in artificial disks and three months later she competed in Nice, France sa国际传媒� where she blew another disc. 

It was the final blow. 

While she was forced out of the sport, she couldnsa国际传媒檛 leave the water. 

sa国际传媒淚 had to be in the ocean. So I started ocean swimming,sa国际传媒� Yoneda said. She sa国际传媒済ot hookedsa国际传媒� on marathon swimming from that first Port Angeles to Victoria trip on a whim. 

Now she trains regularly at Thetis Lake and Willows Beach, where seals will swim beside her, back and forth and back and forth. Itsa国际传媒檚 far from her only encounter with wildlife. 

Her last swim from Nanaimo to Sechelt and back, her boat captain watched a humpback in the distance change course to check her out. 

sa国际传媒淚t literally surfaced right beside us,sa国际传媒� Yoneda said, recalling the awe of the sight. sa国际传媒淢y dream is to have orcas swim nearby.sa国际传媒�

Unfortunately on that swim, she also dislocated two ribs and learned she had a rare slipping rib syndrome. Every stroke of her right arm she shifted the arc and underwater pull to tuck the ribs back in place. In a bid to keep swimming, those ribs were removed by thoracic surgeon Dr. John Samphire. 

Training two years ago she felt two go on the left, and had those ones wired in place.

Theysa国际传媒檒l be put to the test this go round. 

sa国际传媒淭his swim will be a test to see if that holds,sa国际传媒� Yoneda said. 

While physical pain is a given and the potential for injury is high, shesa国际传媒檚 also confident there will be emotional pain. Fortunately, the swim also comes with healing only the ocean can provide. 

sa国际传媒淚 swim through my grief, the tears just disappear in to the water,sa国际传媒� she said, calling the ocean a sa国际传媒渟afe and sacred space.sa国际传媒� 

In particular, this swim, Yoneda holds her late cousin in her heart. 

sa国际传媒淗e really wanted to be a doctor on my next swim,sa国际传媒� Yoneda said. sa国际传媒淗e was the epitome of living with compassion. He would have been an excellent physician.sa国际传媒� 

Her cousin, Joshua was 27 and in his last year of med school at UBC when he was suddenly diagnosed with a rare cancer of the spine. He died two years ago, 10 months after this diagnosis. 

sa国际传媒淗e died such a horrible tragic death in a hospital room,sa国际传媒� Yoneda said, in yet another affirmation of the critical need for the pediatric palliative care that Canuck Place provides. 

The swims for a cause are rooted in family. 

Yoneda remembers her grandparents as among the most selfless people, despite having everything taken from them during B.C.sa国际传媒檚 internment of Japanese residents.

sa国际传媒淓ven though Canada was so awful to them, they always believed in giving back,sa国际传媒� she said. 

Her uncle Garth, their son, is an avid and longtime volunteer with Our Place. 

Yoneda figured she had a skill she could use for good.

And Canuck Place does good work sa国际传媒� operating 13 patient beds and eight family suites through two hospices in Vancouver and Abbotsford. Services include medical respite and family support, pain and symptom management, a provincial 24-Hour Clinical Care Line, music and recreation therapy, education and art, grief, loss, and bereavement counselling, and end-of-life care.

All at no cost to families. 

Canuck Place raises approximately 60 per cent its annual operating funds. 

While raising critical funds, Yoneda also aims to record new marathon swim route sa国际传媒� 109 kilometres from Brentwood Bay to Jericho Beach in Vancouver. Itsa国际传媒檚 an extension of a route from North Saanich to Tsawwassen finished by support team member and former youth swim club teammate Rob Dyke (known for successfully circumnavigating Vancouver Island in 2005). 

Yoneda is confident she can swim it sa国际传媒� as long as she can stay awake the anticipated 50 to 60 hours required.

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