Through "pretty wavy" waters Scognamillo made the 19.2-km trek fuelled by sports drinks, energy bars, Goldfish (that's the crackers) and "lots of lake water."

"I thought, I like setting goals for myself and getting out there and getting them instead of regretting it," she said afterwards, adding she was looking forward to a little sleep.

"I had a chance to be the youngest, so I thought 'go for it.' "

Finishing at 5 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds, Scognamillo set the record for the fastest swimmer to cross Lake Erie, organizers said.

She is also the youngest to make the trek, beating out Natalie Lambert, who is roughly four months older and held the title for a week after her swim last weekend.

Scognamillo's accomplishment will help raise money for a new infant ventilator for The Hospital for Sick Chidren's Neonatal Unit. About $10,000 has been raised so far.

Training with long distance swimming and upper body exercises since September, Scognamillo's goal to swim across the lake came to her three years ago after seeing pictures of swimmers who had made the trek across the larger Lake Ontario.

Setting off from Sturgeon Point, N.Y., at 7:30 a.m., Scognamillo finished later in the day at Crystal Beach, Ont., with a welcome from friends, family and "people I don't even know."

With S-I-C-K K-I-D-S painted on her nails, Scognamillo braved frigid waters that never had a constant temperature, and eels that she "tried not thinking about."

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