LAKE TAHOE, Calif./ Nev. – Alex Kostich didn’t originally set out to break any records on the morning of Aug. 5, but he now stands the fastest person to have swam the width of Tahoe, from Homewood, Calif. to Glenbrook, Nev. His swim of four hours, 28 minutes and 55 seconds over those 12 miles outpaced the prior record by nearly 15 minutes.

The impressive accomplishment was born out of loss and heartbreak after Kostich says his husband of 26 years abandoned the marriage in January after meeting someone else.

The Tahoe swim was a part of an effort to heal and rebuild. The record was an unexpected surprise.

“I hope that the record shows resilience in the face of adversity and heartbreak, while also serving as a reminder that life isn’t over at 40, 50, or 60,” Kostich says. “We are capable of groundbreaking achievements and exceptional feats regardless of age, gender, sexuality, etc.”

In the effort rebuild, he set out to accomplish 3-4 pillars this year. But this Tahoe swim wasn’t initially on that list.

After visiting Tahoe for the first time in June, Kostich wanted to find his own personal connection with the lake and began to ponder what that could look like. Around the same time, Pacific Open Water Swim Co., a company that escorts swims and is typically booked out months in advance, happened to have a cancellation.

“I impulsively grabbed the date and committed to the act of doing something outside my comfort zone, for better or worse,” he said. “I’m happy it turned out for the better!”

The seasoned swimmer, with three decades under his belt and many podium finishes around the world, was still struck with some concern before the swim. That’s because he did not do any cold water acclimatization leading up to it.

It was a combination of adrenaline, a pace that maintained a core body temperature and his mantra of “getting comfortable with being uncomfortable,” that got him through it. In fact, he reports the cold actually didn’t bother him much at all.

Imperative to his success was not only mental and physical preparation, but also a team. That included Lexie Kelly, observer Suzanne Heim‑Bowen, and a pilot from Pacific Open Water Swim Co., with whom he says he shares the record.

In what he describes as close to an out-of-body experience, he forged a deep connection with the lake and surrounding area in his healing swim.

“There was always a beautiful mystique about it, but it wasn’t until I saw it with my own eyes and swam in it for the first time,” he says, “[that] I really felt the magic take hold.”

Within those four and a half hours, starting in the dark at 4:45 a.m., he shed tears as he contemplated the last 8 months, which were often clouded by heartbreak and loss.

“But I also shed tears knowing that this was but a small step in rebuilding the self-esteem and worth that I had lost along the way,” he said.

It wasn’t just the water that left a mark, but also the people.

“I healed through time spent with others and the hospitality and friendship they showed me,” he said.

That included Kevin Sloane of Fly Truckee Tahoe, who took Kostich on two scouting trips across the lake in his seaplane. Ally Griffith at the Travel North Tahoe Nevada Welcome Center hosted a Thunderbird Lodge tour and rock climber, Jordan Cannon, shared Tahoe’s history with Kostich and inspired his mantra.

The new record holder celebrated with a post-record dinner at Chrissy Hill and made more than one stop at Morelos Tacos and Little Truckee Ice Creamery during his visit.

Kostich says he left it all out there in the deep blue and although this summer was his first time in Tahoe, he is confident it won’t be his last.

“It was cathartic, and healing, and my life story with Lake Tahoe,” he says, “has only just begun.”