Imagine a beautiful summer morning, and Beaver Lake looks like a mirror. Surrounded by beautiful green trees, a group of women get in and start their journey gliding through the lake. Some mornings the lake is shimmering with the sunlight, sometimes it is cloudy, but the lake warms to a comfortable 76 degrees in the summer, and this tradition is a little piece of heaven for me.

Looking back at least 15-plus years, I recall what I have learned from these women besides all the ropes to doing triathlons. These women are all very different from one another, but they are all heroes in their own way. One of them was dissatisfied with the education her children were getting, so she started a small Montessori school in a home next door to the current library. This tiny school grew into a large preschool/elementary school and middle school. One of her children is now the principal of that school, and is educating the next generations.

One other woman has monetarily gifted our city more than just about anyone I know. These selfless acts have been noted in the past, but there is more to the story. One of the ladies we swam with has a son with severe special needs. He was only expected to live a short time, but outlived all the expectations by many years now. This boy’s mother devoted everything she had to him and helped him thrive and grow.

When a dear anonymous friend won a race in her late 50s, she said, “If you stick with it long enough, you start winning.” She didn’t need a high-end bike frame, so she gave it to this mother, who was incredibly excited to get it. This selfless act is only a snapshot of her life of giving. For as long as I have known this friend, she has planned her life around her “work.” This is an unpaid job where she spends every day overseeing charity work. We are not talking about writing checks, we are talking about traveling to Africa, or wherever the needs are, and ensuring procedure is respected and the correct people are benefiting from these funds.

Another swimmer made her mark with her husband at Microsoft. She has participated in many of the autism events I have worked with and I have seen her support many organizations in our area, both with time and resources for the benefit of children and hungry people in need.

One woman is a cancer survivor and she has mentored many others who are struggling to fight this disease. When one of her best friends also got struck with this frightening diagnosis, together they would talk and exercise on a weekly basis, keeping one another encouraged and fanning the fighting-spirit flame.

When another friend of mine was dealing with cancer, I put together a “token” triathlon, complete with “medals” I painted from metal garbage can lids. They were very large and good for a laugh when life was pretty stressful. More importantly, two of the attendees met at lake’s edge, introduced each other and suddenly were sharing encouraging words and connecting on only a level that one who has been there can do.

When the Montessouri school decided to put on a triathlon to raise money for the school, one of the “ladies of the lake” was there every year with her family to handle all the water safety in the swim. Paddle boards, boats and a speed boat, making sure the reputation of the tri was intact, and everyone involved was safe.

The ladies of the lake have been swimming through thick and thin. These are the kind of heroes we have in our community. How fortunate we are that surrounding us are inspiring people, quietly going about doing good works. Thank you, ladies of the lake, for being living examples of service in Sammamish.

Amy McOmber is a 22-year resident of Sammamish.