George Sushkoff was introduced to Swim Across America through an eye-opening, and humbling, conversation with a friend.
“I saw a picture of my friend at a Swim Across America event and he had a microphone in his hand. Jokingly, I asked if he was looking for his 15 minutes of fame. He told me he had recovered from cancer and was sharing his story at the event. After I removed my foot from my mouth, I asked for some more details.”
Through this conversation, George learned that Swim Across America was rooted in two of his favorite things: swimming and raising money for cancer research. George swam in college, competed in the U.S. Masters Swimming, and met some of his closest friends through swimming.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, George participated in 2020’s SAA-Richmond virtual challenge. Participants logged hours of activity or volunteer efforts and raised funds for the community.
It wasn’t until 2021, when George had the opportunity to join with a team and in-person, that the Swim Across America community came to life.
“A friend asked me if I would form a team for the Richmond event. We called ourselves Team River City after our hometown. I work for a software company, so I enjoyed setting up the team page – another one of my favorite things. Amazingly, our team exceeded our fundraising goal of $15,000,” said George.
The following year, George set up the same team, and brought his son along as a safety and water volunteer making SAA a family affair. Again, the team exceeded their fundraising goal and raised $26,000.
In 2023, George’s participation in SAA-Richmond took on a more profound meaning when he was diagnosed with Stage 1 to Stage 2 colon cancer. Fortunately, he knew just who to turn to.
“One of my close friends contacted Rob Butcher, CEO of Swim Across America, and told him my story. By lunchtime that day, I had received a call from Rob to discuss my diagnosis and next steps. By dinnertime the following day, I received a call from a nurse liaison at VCU Massey Cancer Center, who said they wanted to help. It’s unbelievable the amount of support I’ve received from my swimming community and from Swim Across America.”
George met with doctors at Virginia Cancer Institute (VCI) and VCU Massey to discuss treatment options. Though he receives treatment at VCI, he feels that both centers are collaborating on his care.
“It’s comforting to know that I have the support of both VCI and VCU Massey. They aren’t fighting over who gets to treat me – though they should,” George jokes. “They are focused on my health and well-being, and me coming out of this a survivor.”
George has been fortunate to have minimal side effects from his treatments and he’s able to focus on more of his favorite things: biking, water polo and family time. He credits his active lifestyle and his sense of humor for helping him get through this tough time.
“I plan to be a cancer survivor. Swim Across America has already done so much for me and continues to support me through this. I know they will help countless more people in their battles against cancer.”
If you are moved to support George and Team River City, you can donate here.
Swim Across America has raised $100 million since its inception in 1987 to support cancer research and clinical trials across the U.S. Please contact Jeni Howard at jhoward@jhowardpr.com for media inquiries.
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