COEUR d'ALENE - Alexa Smith, 31, was a little nervous before her first organized open-water swimming event Sunday.

"But I'm confident I can swim" the event's 1-mile course with no problems, Smith said.

The wind was blowing a bit, the water got a little choppy with a few whitecaps, and there'd be plenty of arms and legs around her plowing the water.

She took to the lake with around 175 other swimmers in the 17th annual Steve Omi Memorial Swim at Sanders Beach.

Smith is a mother of five - 12, 11, 9, 5, and 11 months - and has lost 135 pounds since August of last year, when she had her fifth.

"I have a three-year plan to do the Ironman," Smith said. "It's a lot of dedication and discipline."

But it's worth it. She said she loves the challenge of working to balance it all.

"I've done a lot in my life, gotten married, had kids," she said. "But I'm only 31; it's not like my life's over."

Next up for Smith is the Long Bridge Swim in Sandpoint, with its 1.76-mile race course.

The Steve Omi Memorial Swim was started in 1994 in honor of Steve Omi, an avid swimmer who died of cancer one month prior to his 37th birthday.

It is a fundraiser for a scholarship to be awarded to a local graduating high school senior planning to swim at the collegiate level.

Past scholarship recipient Jared Griffard, 20, said, "It's been really helpful. It's nice to have that local support."

Griffard, who competed at Coeur d'Alene High, is attending Gannon University in Erie, Pa.

Participant Carol Nelson, of Hayden, who is visually impaired, said she relishes the opportunity to compete on a more even playing field. Swimming events provide that, she said.

"It's something that I can still do," she said.

She said her vision has been limited by Stargardt's macular degeneration.

"I have no excuses today," Nelson said.

Last year's event winner, Bryce Kananowicz, said he just likes to swim.

But "it's fun to meet people, too," he said. "And the money goes to a good cause."

As a 13-year-old last year, he swam the mile in 19 minutes, 42 seconds.

Kananowicz, of Liberty Lake, said he wanted to beat last year's time, and planned to go out hard and get away from the pack of swimmers.

"Anything under 19 minutes is good with me," he said.

He finished in 19:41 Sunday.

Some, not all, top local finishers by category:

Youth male - Gus Koch (fourth overall at 21:45) of Hayden, and Travis Griffard of Coeur d'Alene.

Youth female - Anastasia deTar (sixth overall, 22:01) of Post Falls, Rachel Peterson of Hayden, and Peyton Bowen of Rathdrum.

Adult male - Jared Griffard (third overall, 21:43) of Coeur d'Alene.

No top local females were reported.

No top local male masters were reported.

Top female masters - Maidy Kress of Coeur d'Alene and Gloria Waggoner of Coeur d'Alene.

Full results: www.steveomi.org