Estero, FL – Fort Myer’s native, Heather Roka, is swimming Britain’s North Channel next month and is hoping to raise funds to benefit a local organization’s efforts to help people with Multiple Sclerosis. The swim is from Northern Ireland to Scotland and is a 21.5-mile distance. Thousands of swimmers have swum the English Channel, but only a few hundred have successfully swum the North Channel. Roka will be the first from the state of Florida to swim the North Channel. The swim date is based on weather and boat captains deciding if it is safe to attempt the crossing. Roka’s window is between August 11-17.
The Irish Long Distance Swimming Association (ILDSA) will officially ratify via an observer and meticulous documentation that the swim was completed within the rules. Roka’s main concern is hypothermia and the Lion’s Mane jellyfish. The water temperature is 54-57 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a very cold swim. She can only wear a regular swimsuit, a cap and goggles. Wet suits are not allowed. She can also not touch the boat or be touched by anyone once the swim begins, or she will be disqualified. Her goal swim time is between 12-14 hours.
Roka swam the Double English Channel in 2021, the Catalina Channel 2022, the DC Marathon in Swim 2023, and the Infinity Man Challenge in 2024, and several other challenging swims in her career.
Roka grew up in Fort Myers and attended Fort Myers High School assisting the team to a State Final Championship in 2003 while also swimming for the Gulf Coast Swim Team. She attended Gardner Webb University and competed with the swim team for 4 years. She graduated in 2008 with a degree in Health and Wellness and minor in American Sign Language.
Roka then attended Florida Gulf Coast University and received a Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) in 2011. She found her passion in treating those with various neurological diseases and received her Neurologic Specialist Certification (NCS) through the APTA in 2021.
Through this interest in neurological disorders, Roka became connected to the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida, where she was an active volunteer for several years. She has chosen the organization as the beneficiary of her fundraising efforts accomplished through the swim event.
The Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida (MS Center) is a local nonprofit organization that has served the community since 2000 and is committed to improving the quality of life for individuals living with Multiple Sclerosis. The MS Center provides free services to over 500 people with MS in six locations throughout Southwest Florida, including support groups, mobility and balance classes, art classes, seminars, case management, disability equipment, and more. The center is not affiliated with any national organizations, but rather it is focused on the needs of people with MS in Southwest Florida.
Many people with MS are disabled and have serious challenges dealing with the aftermath of a storm. The MS Center established a call center shortly after Hurricane Ian struck in 2022 and was able to provide temporary housing and other resources for those who were displaced or compromised.
Heather Roka is leading the charge to help raise $25,000 to help support the MS Center’s Disaster Relief Fund. The Center needs to build up its fund to be ready with resources to help their clients with disabilities if there is another catastrophic hurricane.
Donations to support Heather Roka’s historic swim and the MS Center’s Disaster Relief Fund may be made online here https://centers4ms.org/swim or by mail to the MS Center, 8200 Health Center Blvd. #104, Estero, FL 34135.
For more information on the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida, please visit their website at www.centers4ms.org
Heather’s swim was featured on WINK News.
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