A Quebecer Plans to Swim from Cuba to Key West to Raise Awareness About Dysphasia
In 2015, Vincent Godin took on the challenge of swimming 86 km from Nova Scotia to the Magdalen Islands to raise public awareness of dysphasia, a language disorder he lives with. Then 19 years old, the swimmer from Trois-Rivières completed his crossing of the Gulf of St. Lawrence between Chéticamp (Nova Scotia) and Havre-Aubert (Magdalen Islands) not only to support the cause of aphasia but also to inspire young people. Recently, he contacted Le Soleil de la Floride to share his new project with us: The Odyssey of Hope. It is a swim across the Gulf of Mexico from Cuba to Key West, the southernmost point of the Sunshine State and the contiguous United States.
Career as an Open-Water Swimmer
Vincent Godin has had a passion for water and swimming since he was 5 or 6 years old. He then began taking swimming lessons at age 9. Later, he competed in the Quebec Games in Gatineau in 2010, as well as in several competitions with the Mégophias swimming club in Trois-Rivières.
We asked Vincent to tell us about his journey as an open-water swimmer and what led him to choose this demanding discipline. He replied: “The day I felt the call of open-water swimming was when Diana Nyad, in 2013, swam across the ocean from Cuba to Florida. She swam under conditions that inspired me, and she was also the first woman to do it. That’s where my idea to take on a similar challenge came from.”
Vincent Godin’s first swimming feat was a swim from Montreal to Trois-Rivières. He was 17 at the time. He tells us: “That adventure, which took me out of my comfort zone, instilled in me values that I still hold dear today—namely, self-esteem, perseverance, and personal fulfillment. At that moment, I realized that anything was possible for me.”
His greatest achievement to date is his swim from Chéticamp, Nova Scotia, to the Magdalen Islands—an 86-kilometer crossing of the Gulf of St. Lawrence completed in 48 hours. His feat received media coverage, and approximately 400 people were waiting for him upon his arrival.
Project in Florida
The main obstacle to his new challenge—his “Odyssey of Hope” project, which will span three to five years—is finding a team in Florida, and especially a project manager who can handle the organizational aspects on the U.S. side.
Vincent explains: “These people could help me with contacts in Florida—such as boat owners—to secure local U.S. funding and also to assist with permits, whether from the Coast Guard or the government.”
The athlete adds: “For the next few years, I’ll continue training in open water and in the pool as I always have—it’s a passion and a way of life for me. Physical training, nutrition, well-being, and mental health are all part of my life goals.”
Vincent Godin’s training, which is focused more on the challenge itself, will begin as soon as he is able to set a date for the event. “From that point on, the intensity and volume of my training will gradually increase leading up to the day of the crossing,” he says with determination.
To contact Vincent Godin:
Translated with Deepl
