LAKE POWELL, Utah — While most would celebrate their birthday with a party, one Utah man chose to celebrate by skiing on Lake Powell Friday.
For 12 years, Lew Wheelwright has commemorated his birthday by water skiing the same number of miles as his age on Lake Powell.
"Last year, I couldn't do it because the weather was bad," says Wheelwright. "This is the first time on a water ski in 2 years."
It took two hours and 27 minutes to complete the run, which started at Halls Crossing Marina and went down to Cathedral Canyon before hitting the 80-mile mark just above Long Canyon. Friends such as Gary Mead tell FOX 13 News that it was done with minimal prep time.
"We all say that Lew is a freak of nature," says Mead. "He's got me by 11 years and he still out-skis me."
Wheelwright says in his younger years, the furthest he's skied was 125 miles. He tells us the biggest challenge is the battle against fatigue once you're in motion.
"After you're up... the fatigue just takes over," says Wheelwright. "Usually, I'm good for about 40 miles... it's trying because your legs are going bad and your arms and shoulders are... they don't hold up as well as they used to when I was younger."
When asked about his motivations to keep going, Wheelwright had a simple answer.
"As you get older, you get bolder."