“Oats. A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.” —A Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson (1755).Well those hardy Scots were sure on to something, and out of their early find was eventually born the Quaker Oats Company and oatmeal as a nutrition staple for many.It has certainly been a cornerstone of Elizabeth Beisel’s training leading up to her swim from Matunuck to Block Island this past weekend. Called “Block Cancer,” the event drew large crowds and news media to the North Light on Corn Neck and is closing in on raising an event record $150,000 in pledges for cancer research.Beisel is a personable dynamo from North Kingstown, R.I. who makes everyone instantly feel special, a trait that transcends her accomplishments.
“I trained by eating oatmeal for a month leading up to the swim,” noted Beisel. “And the night before the swim I chowed down a poke bowl, some cereal and pasta, and then in the morning… more oatmeal.”Would she be having it again Sunday morning? “Uh, no” she emphatically emphasized while smiling from under a bright pink sun hat, relaxing at Ballard’s with a warming coffee, “I’m
