Read or watch local stories featuring the Swim Across America-Rhode Island community to learn about their impact. Learn more about the event and beneficiary, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island at swimacrossamerica.org/rhodeisland.
Swim Across America (SAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 SAA College Cup. More than 45 collegiate, club, and alumni teams and over 1,400 participants all united to make waves in the fight against cancer through swimming and friendly competition.
Swim Across America awarded the top fundraising team, the top collegiate fundraiser, and a bonus team chosen at random.
Congrats to the top fundraising team, Team Tar Heel! The top team is led by co-captains, Georgia Nel and Sue Walsh, and raised more than $96,000. Funds raised by Team Tar Heel supported the Swim Across America – Carolina community.
Team Tar Heel from the SAA-Carolina community is the winner of the Swim Across America College Cup. Congrats!
For Olympian and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alum, Sue Walsh, Swim Across America’s mission is deeply personal.
“My involvement became even more personal when I heard the words myself, ‘You have metastatic colon cancer.’ As someone who spent most of her life committed to the sport of swimming, it made perfect sense to partner with SAA in the fight against cancer, including my own.”
Congrats to the top collegiate fundraiser, Alyssa Corb, who raised over $24,000! Alyssa is a student at the University of Tennessee, Swim Across America – Nashville co-event director, and long-time supporter of Swim Across America – Baltimore. Over the years, Alyssa and her family have raised more than $200,000.
Alyssa Corb and her mother, Jennifer, at the 2024 SAA-Nashville community swim.
“My main inspiration for swimming is my brother Michael, who passed away from mixed lineage leukemia when he was nine months old,” shared Alyssa.
“I was 2 when he was born and 3 when he was diagnosed and died. I don’t remember every second but I do remember loving every minute with him, and his face lighting up whenever I walked into his room. To me, Swim Across America is not just about raising money to find a cure, it’s to honor and remember those who fought their battle and prevent other parents, siblings, and families from going through the loss of a loved one.”
SAA also recognized a collegiate team chosen through a random drawing: Providence College Swimming and Diving team from Providence Rhode Island. The team of more than 100 swimmers raised more than $64,000 and were awarded a Vasa Trainer Pro. Funds raised by the team from Providence College Swimming and Diving supported Swim Across America – Rhode Island.
The Swim Across America College Cup was announced in 2023 and invited college teams, athletes, and alumni to join the organization’s mission of funding cancer research, clinical trials, and patient care programs through community charity swims. Teams participated by registering for one of Swim Across America’s open water charity swims, joining or starting a pool swim, or participating virtually through the SAA My Way program. Participants affiliated with a U.S-based college or university were eligible to compete in the College Cup. Teams consisted of current college students, alumni, or a mix of both, and could be small as one person.
The Swim Across America College Cup was supported through partnerships with CSCAA, Vasa, and GoSwim.
About Swim Across America
Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention, and treatment through swimming-related events. With the help of hundreds of volunteers nationwide and past and current Olympians, Swim Across America is helping find a cure for cancer through athleticism, community outreach and direct service. To learn more visit swimacrossamerica.org or follow on Facebook @SwimAcrossAmerica or on Instagram @SAASwim.
About CSCAA
Founded in 1922, the CSCAA is the nation’s first professional coaching association for intercollegiate athletics. The CSCAA boasts more than 2,000 member coaches and assistant coaches, recognizes All-American swimmers and divers, NCAA record-breakers and Scholar All-America athletes and teams, as well as outstanding coaches and contributors, and helps oversee the welfare of collegiate swimming and diving. Learn more about CSCAA at cscaa.org.
About Vasa
Vasa empowers swimmers, surfers, and triathletes to become stronger, better, faster in sports, fitness, and injury rehab. Vasa offers specific equipment such as swim ergometers, trainers, sport benches and other accessories to provide athletes with safe, effective training methods. Founded by Rob Sleamaker, an acclaimed exercise physiologist and author, who has worked with Olympians, biathletes, and triathletes as well as some of the world’s most respected swim coaches to reinvent their training practices. Learn more about Vasa at vasatrainer.com.
About GoSwim
GoSwim creates content that helps people of all ages and backgrounds to swim better and reach their full potential in the sport. GoSwim’s videos are acclaimed and unsurpassed for clarity of filming and clarity of content and commentary. GoSwim was founded in 2002 by Olympian Glenn Mills and business colleague Barbara Hummel. Learn more at goswim.tv.
800+ swimmers and volunteers come together for New England’s largest ocean swim event to support cancer research at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
Swim Across America – Rhode Island is Making Waves to Fight Cancer by celebrating the 15th anniversary of its open water swim on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at Roger Wheeler State Beach, in the protective waters of the Point Judith Harbor of Refuge in scenic Narragansett, Rhode Island. This event is Swim Across America’s largest in the country, with more than 800 participants and three dozen fundraising teams — half from New England colleges — uniting to support promising cancer research at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island (WIH), the local event beneficiary.
There are four swim options: a one-mile or half-mile course for ages 13 and up (younger swimmers require approval), a quarter-mile course for ages 9 to 12, and a new Splash & Dash for ages 12 and under. Alternatively, you can support the event as a SAA My Way virtual participant or onsite volunteer. To register for the event in any of these capacities or to donate visit swimacrossamerica.org/rhodeisland.
In the past 15 years, Swim Across America – Rhode Island has raised more than $2.5 million for ovarian and breast cancer research. This funding has helped researchers at the WIH Program in Women’s Oncology Center for Biomarkers & Emerging Technology Program discover a biomarker for ovarian cancer and introduce to clinical practice an algorithm that estimates with specificity the risk of ovarian cancer in women with a pelvic mass. This test is now used worldwide and is a game changer for women with ovarian cancer, which is notoriously difficult to diagnose at an early stage when it is most treatable. This research has since expanded to study the function of the biomarker within cancer cells and the use of novel therapeutics that target the biomarker. Find more information here.
“Everyone who supports Swim Across America can be proud of the collective impact we’ve had on cancer research and treatment breakthroughs,” said Douglas Sayles, co-director of the Swim Across America – Rhode Island event. “Sadly, cancer touches everyone one way or another, but the research we fund and the sense of community we create through our events provide hope that real strides are being made toward new and better treatments. That’s the spirit of Swim Across America … there is hope.”
Swim Across America (SAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 SAA College Cup. Nearly 40 collegiate, club, and alumni teams and over 1,200 participants all united to make waves in the fight against cancer through swimming and friendly competition.
Swim Across America awarded the top three fundraising teams, top three fundraising individuals, as well as a bonus team chosen at random.
The top three fundraising teams are:
1st Place: Emory Swim and Dive Captain: William Kerscher; Susan Mumford Amount Raised: $70,381 Number of Team Members: 71
2nd Place: Providence College Swimming & Diving Captain: John O’Neil Amount Raised: $56,115 Number of Team Members: 101
3rd Place: Team Tar Heel Captain: Sue Walsh Amount Raised: $54,904 Numbers of Team Members: 20
The Emory Swim and Dive team is the winner of the Swim Across America College Cup. Congrats!
The Emory Swim and Dive team had supported Swim Across America in the past, and pointed out that the College Cup made their experience even more exciting. Funds raised by Emory Swim and Dive supported Swim Across America – Atlanta open water swim.
“As a team, we are elated to be the first-ever Swim Across America College Cup champions and to have had the opportunity to make such a tremendous positive impact in our community. Each of us is passionate about the SAA mission and thankful for the good it has done for so many. We look forward to participating in the College Cup for years to come and helping in the fight against cancer!”
Olympian Sue Walsh, captain of Team Tar Heel, is the College Cup’s top individual fundraiser.
The top fundraising individuals are:
1st Place: Sue Walsh Amount Raised: $36,485
2nd Place: Chris Weissman Amount Raised: $16,679
3rd Place: Bob Hackett Amount Raised: $11,887
For Olympian and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alum, Sue Walsh, Swim Across America’s mission is deeply personal.
“I have witnessed the sadness in friends’ eyes when they’ve been told they have cancer. I want to honor those who have lost their battle and to help provide better treatment options for those still in the fight,” said Sue.
“My involvement became even more personal when I heard the words myself, ‘You have metastatic colon cancer.’ As someone who spent most of her life committed to the sport of swimming, it made perfect sense to partner with SAA in the fight against cancer, including my own.”
Funds raised by Sue and Team Tar Heel supported the Swim Across America – Carolina community.
SAA also recognized a collegiate team chosen through a random drawing: Western New England University (WNEU) Swim Team in Springfield, Massachusetts. The team of eight swimmers raised nearly $3,500 and were awarded a Vasa Trainer Pro. Funds raised by the team from WNEU supported Swim Across America – Rhode Island.
Western New England University Swim Team took home the bonus prize: a Vasa Trainer Pro!
The Swim Across America College Cup was announced in 2023 and invited college teams, athletes, and alumni to join the organization’s mission of funding cancer research, clinical trials, and patient care programs through community charity swims. Teams participated by registering for one of Swim Across America’s open water charity swims, joining or starting a pool swim, or participating virtually through the SAA My Way program. Participants affiliated with a U.S-based college or university were eligible to compete in the College Cup. Teams consisted of current college students, alumni, or a mix of both, and could be small as one person.
The Swim Across America College Cup was supported through partnerships with CSCAA, Vasa, and GoSwim.
About Swim Across America
Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention, and treatment through swimming-related events. With the help of hundreds of volunteers nationwide and past and current Olympians, Swim Across America is helping find a cure for cancer through athleticism, community outreach and direct service. To learn more visit swimacrossamerica.org or follow on Facebook @SwimAcrossAmerica or on Instagram @SAASwim.
About CSCAA
Founded in 1922, the CSCAA is the nation’s first professional coaching association for intercollegiate athletics. The CSCAA boasts more than 2,000 member coaches and assistant coaches, recognizes All-American swimmers and divers, NCAA record-breakers and Scholar All-America athletes and teams, as well as outstanding coaches and contributors, and helps oversee the welfare of collegiate swimming and diving. Learn more about CSCAA at cscaa.org.
About Vasa
Vasa empowers swimmers, surfers, and triathletes to become stronger, better, faster in sports, fitness, and injury rehab. Vasa offers specific equipment such as swim ergometers, trainers, sport benches and other accessories to provide athletes with safe, effective training methods. Founded by Rob Sleamaker, an acclaimed exercise physiologist and author, who has worked with Olympians, biathletes, and triathletes as well as some of the world’s most respected swim coaches to reinvent their training practices. Learn more about Vasa at vasatrainer.com.
About GoSwim
GoSwim creates content that helps people of all ages and backgrounds to swim better and reach their full potential in the sport. GoSwim’s videos are acclaimed and unsurpassed for clarity of filming and clarity of content and commentary. GoSwim was founded in 2002 by Olympian Glenn Mills and business colleague Barbara Hummel. Learn more at goswim.tv.
New Programs Offer Fun, Fresh, and Exciting Ways for College Students to Make a Bigger Impact With Swim Across America
College Swimming Coaches Association of America, Inc. and Vasa are proud partners of College Cup Competition
CHARLOTTE, N.C., September 26, 2023 – Swim Across America (SAA) is pleased to announce two new programs aimed at college students and college swim teams who want to make a bigger impact in their community through leadership, fundraising, and friendly competition. The Swim Across America College Cup features 30+ collegiate, club and alumni teams and more than 1,000 participants all united to make waves in the fight against cancer through swimming. The second program is the SAA College Ambassadorprogram where 21 college swimmers and ambassadors have been selected to represent Swim Across America throughout the school year to help raise awareness on the importance of making waves to fight cancer. Both programs are supported through partnerships with College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) and Vasa, the fitness training company for swimmers.
Swim Across America College Cup
Through December 1, 2023, college or college-affiliated swim teams will compete in the Swim Across America College Cup, a fundraising competition among collegiate teams in the U.S. Teams can participate by registering for one of Swim Across America’s open water charity swims, joining or starting a pool swim, or participating virtually through the SAA My Way program. Participants must be affiliated with a U.S-based college or university to be eligible to compete in the College Cup. Teams may consist of current college students, alumni or a mix of both, and can be as small as one person.
To date, more than 30 teams consisting of 1,000 participants are currently enrolled in the College Cup’s inaugural year. As the college swim season peaks, Swim Across America expects those numbers to increase and encourages teams, clubs and alumni groups who want to join to do so at swimacrossamerica.org/collegecup.
Members of the Emory University Swim and Dive team at the 2023 SAA-Atlanta event.
Members of the Providence College swim and dive teams at the 2023 SAA-Rhode Island event.
“One of the exciting aspects of the Swim Across America College Cup program is that it offers a new way for alumni to stay engaged with their college swim teams,” noted John O’Neill, head coach of the Providence College men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs and a long-time participant in Swim Across America open water swims. “It allows them to lead the next generation of athletes in the swimming world and instill a philanthropic mindset.”
Fundraising by the College Cup teams will support cancer research and clinical trials in the community in which teams register to swim. If teams are participating in a national pool swim, funds support the Swim Across America pediatric cancer research fund. Swim Across America offers 24 open water swims across the country and hundreds of pool swims each year.
The College Cup brings several exciting partnerships to Swim Across America, including the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) and Vasa, a fitness and rehabilitation company focused on peak performance for swimmers, surfers and triathletes.
As part of their partnership, CSCAA will recognize the top individual College Cup fundraiser at their annual awards ceremony.
“We are thrilled to rejuvenate the partnership between Swim Across America and the CSCAA,” said Samantha Barany, executive director of CSCAA. “The philanthropic efforts of Swim Across America are impressive and impact nearly everyone in some way with the fight against cancer. The open water events hosted by Swim Across America are an excellent opportunity for our college teams and athletes to engage in charitable endeavors within a familiar and loved environment – the water. We will continue to find more ways to collaborate and I believe this is just the beginning!”
Vasa will award a Vasa Trainer Pro model to two participating teams. One will be awarded to the top College Cup fundraising team and the second will be awarded to a randomly selected team participating in the College Cup. All teams have the opportunity to win through their participation.
Swim Across America College Ambassadors
Swim Across America is also excited to announce another new college initiative, the Swim Across America College Ambassadors program. College Ambassadors will be the face of Swim Across America at their college or university and lead efforts to raise awareness of Swim Across America’s mission to fund cancer research, clinical trials and patient programs by hosting charity swims. College Ambassadors are passionate about Swim Across America and help engage their peers, promote the Swim Across America mission and brand, and encourage their local communities’ involvement.
Earlier this year, Swim Across America invited college students to apply for the Swim Across America College Ambassadors program. Applicants were asked to share why they are passionate about Swim Across America, highlight any previous leadership experience, and outline their aspirations for participating in the program. More than 30 applications were reviewed by a Swim Across America selection committee and 21 college students were selected to be College Ambassadors for 2023. Students selected represent colleges across the country, including University of South Florida, Roger Williams University and Northeastern University.
Beyond their role as ambassadors, these students also serve as team captains for teams participating in the College Cup or any Swim Across America event. To learn about the Swim Across America College Ambassador program, visit swimacrossamerica.org/ambassadors.
Swim Across America was founded in 1987 with its first open water event in Long Island Sound. Since that time, the nonprofit organization has raised more than $100 million to fight cancer. In its 36 years of making waves to fight cancer, more than 100,000 swimmers and 150 Olympians have swum the circumference of the earth three times, uniting a movement to fight cancer that has created a groundswell of support spanning all generations. Today, more than 24 communities hold open water swims and hundreds of charity pool swims each year, from Nantucket to under the Golden Gate Bridge, which support innovative cancer research, detection and patient programs.
Swim Across America’s funding of clinical trials for patients helped contribute to four FDA approved life-saving immunotherapy cancer treatments: Yervoy, Opdivo, Tecentriq and Keytruda. In June of last year, a clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering was published in The New England Journal of Medicine that showed a 100 percent success rate in treating patients in a phase 2 clinical trial for advanced rectal cancer with dostarlimab, an immunotherapy treatment produced by GlaxoSmithKline. The clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering was funded by early-stage grant funding from Swim Across America. More than 60 scientific grants are funded each year and there are now ten dedicated Swim Across America Labs at major institutions including: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, John Hopkins Medicine Atlanta, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, Infusion Center at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and San Francisco, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, The Swim Across America Pediatric Research Lab at Columbia University Medical Center New York, and The Swim Across America Laboratory at Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine.
About Swim Across America
Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment through swimming-related events. With the help of hundreds of volunteers nationwide and past and current Olympians, Swim Across America is helping find a cure for cancer through athleticism, community outreach and direct service. To learn more visitswimacrossamerica.org or follow on Facebook @SwimAcrossAmerica or on Instagram or Twitter @SAASwim.
About CSCAA
Founded in 1922, the CSCAA is the nation’s first professional coaching association for intercollegiate athletics. The CSCAA boasts more than 2,000 member coaches and assistant coaches, recognizes All-American swimmers and divers, NCAA record-breakers and Scholar All-America athletes and teams, as well as outstanding coaches and contributors, and helps oversee the welfare of collegiate swimming and diving. Learn more about CSCAA at cscaa.org.
About Vasa
Vasa empowers swimmers, surfers and triathletes to become stronger, better, faster in sports, fitness and injury rehab. Vasa offers specific equipment such as swim ergometers, trainers, sport benches and other accessories to provide athletes with safe, effective training methods. Founded by Rob Sleamaker, an acclaimed exercise physiologist and author, who has worked with Olympians, biathletes and triathletes as well as some of the world’s most respected swim coaches to reinvent their training practices. Learn more about Vasa at vasatrainer.com.
Read or watch local stories featuring the Swim Across America-Rhode Island community to learn about their impact. Learn more about the event and beneficiary, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island at swimacrossamerica.org/rhodeisland.
Payton De La Cruz Swim Across America – Rhode Island 2 years supporting Swim Across America Age: 27
As a PhD student in cancer biology at Brown University, Providence resident Payton De La Cruz knows first-hand how important philanthropy is to cancer research.
When the opportunity arose to support the national nonprofit that funds her work at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island’s Program in Women’s Oncology, she jumped — or dove — at the chance to “make waves” in the fight against cancer.
“I’ve swum recreationally my entire life, so I was excited to learn that Swim Across America funds the Woman and Infants Hospital labs I work in under Doctors Kate Grive and Nicole James,” said Payton. “SAA’s mission aligns with my values, and its support of our translational research in early-stage breast and gynecologic cancer has been vital.”
Payton sits on SAA-Rhode Island’s event planning committee. Earlier this year, she attended the SAA national leadership summit and subsequently joined the associate board, which supports the nonprofit’s mission by fostering student and community engagement through initiatives such as the new College Ambassador Program.
At this year’s Rhode Island Swim, Payton will volunteer on the beach before and after she dives in to swim a mile with the One Fin Tunas team captained by Dr. David Edmonson.
“Swim Across America’s annual grant literally supports everything I do, not just supplies and equipment,” noted Payton.
“Those funds enabled me to join the lab in 2021 as a full-time graduate student starting a new project on triple-negative breast cancer and immunotherapy. I’m grateful for this experience and proud to be part of the next generation of cancer researchers supported by Swim Across America.”
Payton earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology at University of Arizona and a master’s degree in environmental health at Boston University. Besides her academic studies and cancer research work, she is an avid rower and coordinates science outreach programs for students in under-represented communities.
If you are moved to support Payton De La Cruz, 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.
Swim Across America 