Fifty-nine-year-old marathon swimmer Marilyn Korzekwa still has what it takes to break records.

The Hamilton psychiatrist recently became the first Canadian to swim the 32 kilometres across Cape Cod Bay, from Plymouth to Provincetown, Mass. The swim retraces the voyage of the Mayflower pilgrims in reverse.

Korzekwa is the oldest woman and the ninth person — preceded by eight Americans — to accomplish the crossing. She completed the journey on Aug. 11 in 13 hours and six minutes.

“Although the biggest challenge was expected to be the tidal current, which circulates in a counter-clockwise direction around the relatively shallow bay, it turned out that the high waves in the last 10 kilometres were a bigger challenge,” said Korzekwa.

“Although the biggest challenge was expected to be the tidal curren...it turned out that the high waves in the last 10 kilometres were a bigger challenge.”

Also of concern, she said, was a great white shark, which was spotted a few weeks before the swim and resulted in the closure of several beaches.

Korzekwa said she greased her arms and legs in black-and-white stripes of zinc oxide to resemble a snake, which sharks avoid. She also had the Shark Shield electrode dangling from the accompanying kayak.

For Korzekwa, the highlight of the Cape Cod Bay swim was being wished, “Godspeed” by her namesake, the legendary Marilyn Bell DiLascio at the start of the marathon. DiLascio was the first person to swim across Lake Ontario in September 1954.

“She drove from New York to be present on White Horse Beach at 4:54 a.m. — five hours — to see me off,” said Korzekwa. “I was thrilled.”

Through the Cape Cod Bay swim, Korzekwa hopes to raise $10,000 for Sashbear, a registered charitable organization the funds borderline personality disorder education programs.

Korzekwa adds the Cape Cod Bay crossing to a string of marathon swimming accomplishments, including swimming Lake Ontario in both directions, being the oldest woman to complete the 20-kilometre swim around Key West, Fla., swimming the big four Muskoka lakes, being the oldest Canadian to swim the San Pedro Strait from Catalina Island to the mainland of California, completing the Triple Crown of marathon swimming — the English Channel, Catalina and Manhattan, being the first person to swim between three provinces and being the first Canadian and oldest woman to swim Cook Strait in New Zealand.