Mike Shoreman Paddleboards Across Lake Superior

TWO HARBORS, Minn. – A Toronto man became the first athlete with disabilities to cross Lake Superior Tuesday.

In 2018, Mike Shoreman developed the neurological condition, Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, a mild disorder that presents multiple disabilities ranging from facial paralysis to no being able to walk.

Doctors said he would never be able to paddleboard again and against the odds, not only has he picked the activity back up, but he is also three fifths of the way to completing his goal of crossing all five great lakes.

It took him roughly eight hours to cross Lake superior Tuesday, finishing the trek in Two Harbors.

“Last year I tried to cross Lake Ontario and I tried to become the first person with disabilities to go from one country to another on a paddleboard, and I make it half way and it didn’t happen. And, I worked really hard this year to try to be, you know I wanted to go out and do it and I did it in May with Lake Erie and then the 28 hour crossing of Lake Heron was 10 days later and now this,” Mike Shoreman says.

Next for Mike is Lake Michigan where he will travel from Michigan state to Chicago during the last week of July and then will cross Lake Ontario in August.