The hotel manager told me that tourists did swim in the lake, but he had not heard of anyone trying to swim across it before.

BBC: Long-distance swimming in Nepal��s glacial mountain lakes

The event will start with a 400m swim in Studley Royal Lake, a 10km bike ride through the medieval deer park before finishing with a 2.5km run through the water gardens and ruins of Fountains Abbey.

BBC: Alistair and Jonny Brownlee launch Yorkshire triathlon

The 62-year-old Nyad -- who completed her Lake Ontario swim in 1974 at the age of 24 -- was a third of the way to her goal as of Sunday evening.

CNN: 14-year-old swims solo across Lake Ontario

After a late-afternoon swim in Lake Maracaibo to cool off from the sweltering heat, we got our first glimpse of towering clouds amid the glow of the setting sun.

BBC: In Venezuela, nature��s most electrifying lightning show

From here, either enjoy a swim in Lake Galilee (from one of the many pebbled beaches or pay to use the facilities of Kibbutz Ginosar, 2km east around the lake).

BBC: Walking with Jesus in the Galilee

The first person to swim across Lake Ontario was 16-year-old Marilyn Bell in 1954, according to Swim Ontario, the sport's provincial governing body.

CNN: 14-year-old swims solo across Lake Ontario

Or park up at the lakeside Rancho Alegre Restaurant for the night and swim in El Salvador's most spectacular crater lake, Lago de Coatepeque.

BBC: Camping through Mexico and Central America

Nyad's marathon swimming career began in July 1970, when she set the women's world record for the 10-mile swim across Lake Ontario: four hours and 22 minutes.

CNN: Nyad delays attempt to break distance-swim record

She says she chose Lake Ontario for her swim because it's one of the hardest open-water swims in the world, and she wanted to "accomplish something difficult" for children who fight cancer.

CNN: 14-year-old swims solo across Lake Ontario