The roar of race cars will give way to the splash of swimmers on Saturday, December 5, when Swim Across America returns to Daytona International Speedway for the second annual Swim Across America – Daytona Open Water Swim – as part of the CLASH Endurance® Daytona Triathlon Festival Weekend, December 4-6, 2026, at Daytona International Speedway®. The second annual Swim Across America – Daytona Open Water Swim will take place Saturday, December 5, at 9:30 a.m., in the Speedway’s iconic Lake Lloyd, with a 1-mile charity swim and 100-meter Dolphin Dash raising funds to support pediatric cancer research and The NASCAR Foundation. Swimmers and athletes interested in participating can register at swimacrossamerica.org/daytona or check out the whole CLASH Endurance Daytona weekend events at clashendurance.com/pages/daytona.

The Swim Across America – Daytona charity swim is just one of the signature events of the three-day CLASH Daytona festival, which brings athletes, families and spectators to the “World Center of Racing” for a unique weekend of endurance sports and entertainment. The CLASH Endurance Daytona Weekend kicks off Friday, December 4, with the festive CLASH Endurance Jingle Jog 5K at ONE Daytona, where participants can run, walk or stroll through a course illuminated by more than 1 million holiday lights. Swim Across America’s mascot, DASH the Dolphin, may even make an appearance!

Throughout the weekend, athletes will also have the opportunity to compete in CLASH Endurance’s Sprint, Daytona Distance and Middle Distance triathlons and duathlons; aquabike events; the USA Paratriathlon National Qualifier; the Redline Relay competitive cycling event; and Test Track, a noncompetitive opportunity to ride on Daytona International Speedway’s famous track. The Swim Across America charity swim adds another way for athletes and families to take part in the weekend while supporting an important mission.

CLASH Daytona has become known for combining competition with a festival-style atmosphere at one of the world’s most recognizable sports venues. The 2026 festival runs December 4-6 and welcomes everyone from elite and competitive athletes to recreational participants, families and first-time endurance athletes.

Swim Across America joined the CLASH Daytona weekend for the first time in 2025, transforming Lake Lloyd — the 29-acre lake located inside the Speedway’s infield — into an open water charity swim venue. The inaugural event raised approximately $50,000 while bringing together swimmers, Olympians, volunteers and supporters to raise funds for pediatric cancer research.

“Last year’s Swim Across America – Daytona open water swim at the Daytona International Speedway, in partnership with CLASH, was so much fun,” shared Rob Butcher, CEO of Swim Across America. “We are excited to be back this year on December 5th with more swimmers and more funds raised for pediatric cancer research.”

Returning this year are Charlie Lydecker and his son, Andrew Lydecker, with Team FRP, who embraced both the Swim Across America experience and the pediatric cancer research mission during last year’s inaugural swim.

Charlie Lydecker, CEO and chairman of Foundation Risk Partners, was instrumental in helping bring Swim Across America – Daytona to the CLASH Endurance festival weekend. A longtime competitive swimmer and accomplished masters swimmer, Lydecker is a 14-time national lifeguard champion, has earned multiple U.S. Masters Swimming Top Ten honors and relay records and is a winner of the famed Escape from Alcatraz swim.

Andrew Lydecker is also an experienced swimmer and endurance athlete. A former high school swim team captain and three-sport athlete, he has competed at the U.S. Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships, participated in Swim Across America and completed an Ironman in Texas.

“The team at FRP is proud to support Swim Across America and its mission to bring hope and fund critical research for those fighting cancer,” Charlie Lydecker said when Team FRP joined the inaugural Daytona swim. “We’re honored to help bring the event to Daytona International Speedway and excited for this year’s swim!”

The 1-mile Swim Across America – Daytona swim gives experienced open water swimmers a rare opportunity to swim inside Daytona International Speedway. 1-mile swimmers are also required to raise at least $400 and swimmers 18 and under are required to raise $200 by event day. For those who want to take part in the mission with a shorter distance, the Dolphin Dash is a 100-meter swim open to participants of all ages. Registration is $50, with no fundraising minimum for Dolphin Dash swimmers, although participants are encouraged to fundraise.

Top fundraising individuals and teams will have the opportunity to celebrate on the Daytona International Speedway podium, just like race winners, recognizing their efforts to help fund pediatric cancer research.

The partnership among CLASH Endurance, Swim Across America and The NASCAR Foundation brings together organizations united by a commitment to using sports and community to improve lives. The NASCAR Foundation works to improve the lives of children who need it most, particularly in NASCAR racing communities, through programs including the Speediatrics Children’s Fund and the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. Since 2006, the foundation has contributed millions of dollars to programs impacting children nationwide.

Nationally, Swim Across America has raised more than $150 million for cancer research since its founding in 1987 and has helped fund clinical trials that contributed to the FDA-approved cancer immunotherapy medications Keytruda, Opdivo, Yervoy and Tecentriq. In the past year, Swim Across America funded a breakthrough clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering that showed that immunotherapy alone could successfully treat certain types of cancer. The organization also recently awarded two first-of-its-kind gene editing innovation grants to the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, advancing novel CRISPR gene and base editing techniques used in targeted therapies, immunotherapies and cellular therapies. Swim Across America supports more than 60 cancer research projects annually and supports work at many of the nation’s leading cancer institutions.

For more information or to register for the Swim Across America – Daytona 1-mile swim, Dolphin Dash or SAA My Way, volunteer or donate, visit swimacrossamerica.org/daytona. To learn more about the full CLASH Endurance Daytona Triathlon Festival Weekend, December 4-6, including the Jingle Jog 5K and other events, visit clashendurance.com/pages/daytona.

CLASH Endurance® is an innovative endurance event company led by athletes with a passion for providing exceptional race experiences at iconic venues. CLASH embraces inclusion and welcomes athletes of all ages and abilities, from elite professionals to first-time participants. The popular CLASH Endurance Daytona event is held at Daytona International Speedway, home of “The Great American Race” — the Daytona 500. For more information, visit clashendurance.com.

Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer through charity swims across the U.S., will host its second annual Swim Across America – Michigan Pool Swim on Sunday, October 11, at the University of Michigan Donald B. Canham Natatorium, 500 E. Hoover Ave. in Ann Arbor. The event will feature fun pool relays and an official University of Michigan swim workout, with participants invited to take part in one or both activities. Proceeds from the pool swim, along with funds raised in July through the Swim Across America – Motor City Mile open water swim, support clinical trials and groundbreaking cancer research at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center. To register as a swimmer or volunteer, or to donate, visit swimacrossamerica.org/michigan.

Spearheading this year’s pool swim is someone who knows both Ann Arbor and Swim Across America well: Lucas Caswell is an Ann Arbor native, accomplished swimmer who currently swims with Washington University Swimming & Diving, a Swim Across America College Ambassador, and the 2025 individual winner of the Swim Across America Collegiate Cup. Lucas earned the national honor as Swim Across America’s top collegiate fundraiser and was recognized this spring at the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America Annual Conference. He became involved with Swim Across America shortly after arriving at WashU two years ago, participating in the Swim Across America open water swim by his school. Since that time, he has gotten more involved with the organization and stepped up to lead the pool swim in his hometown.

“What initially began as a team activity with my swim team at WashU, became something much more meaningful when I was invited to meet the cancer researchers whose work Swim Across America funds,” noted Lucas Caswell. “That event was a game-changer for me. It ignited a passion for raising funds for cancer research.”

While Lucas has been lucky and hasn’t lost a loved one to cancer, he notes that his inspiration to fundraise to make a difference comes from a different reason. 

“I work with Swim Across America because they inspire me. The passion, the stories of hope and grief, the unerring commitment to the battle – and because of the model and its impact to the community.”

Meeting Swim Across America-funded researchers and learning firsthand how donations help scientists pursue promising new ideas inspired Caswell to take on a larger leadership role. Now he is bringing that energy home to Ann Arbor.

“The leadership opportunities that Swim Across America has created are meaningful and will continue long after I hang up my goggles,” Lucas noted. “You don’t need to have felt the loss of cancer to know we can do better together. Together we can make waves to fight cancer.”

Caswell is one of many swimmers participating for deeply personal reasons.

For Swim Across America volunteer Emily Brunemann Klueh, an NCAA champion at the University of Michigan who spent 10 years competing on the U.S. National Team, supporting the pool swim brings together her swimming roots and a deeply personal cause. In November 2024, at age 37, Klueh was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Her son was 2½, and her 5-year-old daughter had just started kindergarten. The cancer had already spread to her lymph nodes and the lining of her lungs when it was discovered.

“I was devastated,” Emily Klueh noted. “I did not know what my life was going to look like as my world came crashing down.”

Years of world-class open-water and endurance swimming had taught Emily to navigate physical challenges and pressure. “I know I can do hard things, but this was different,” she said. “Not only was this physically challenging but mentally this was a whole new ball game.”

A licensed mental health and sport performance clinician, Emily Klueh now serves as manager of psychological services for USA Swimming’s National and Junior National Team athletes. She encourages athletes to recognize that it is OK to not be OK all the time and to focus on what they can control — lessons she draws on in her own life.

Her experience has also made her an advocate for early detection and taking ownership of one’s health. When initial blood tests and appointments did not explain what was wrong, Klueh continued to advocate for herself and pushed for a mammogram. A mammogram and ultrasound revealed eight masses and multiple suspicious lymph nodes. Further testing confirmed invasive ductal carcinoma and that the cancer had spread to the lining of her lungs.

Since her diagnosis, Emily has undergone five surgeries and has responded well to her current treatment, which she hopes to remain on for as long as possible. Her family, friends and the athletes she supports have been sources of strength. She shares her story publicly to encourage others to speak up about their health concerns.

“Swim Across America creates platforms for advocacy, awareness and proactive conversations,” Emily said. “These topics are hard, sad, and scary, but we cannot put our heads in the sand to them.”

“The funds from Swim Across America are lifesaving,” Emily emphasized. “The opportunities to invest in new technologies and research are what keep patients like me alive and instill the desire to continue fighting.”

Diana Voges, captain of Team Sisters of the Swells, is both a breast cancer survivor and a participant in medical research trials at the University of Michigan. Her experience has given her a firsthand appreciation for the patients who participate in clinical research and make future treatments possible.

“I am a passionate believer in the value of medical research,” Diana Voges said. “I’ve been a participant in both cardiac and breast cancer medical research trials at UofM. I am overwhelmingly thankful for the brave souls who participated in trials before me, paving the way for the treatment I have received. There is so much still to learn. The work is not done.”

For Diana, Swim Across America provides a natural way to combine that commitment to research with a sport she loves.

“I joined Swim Across America because it combines my love for swimming along with the worthwhile goal of cancer research,” she said.

Also participating is Team Rogel, captained by Erin Christensen, who works as a member of the Rogel Cancer Center staff and brings together supporters of the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center. Erin has been instrumental in helping organize both the open water swim in Detroit and now the UofM pool swim. 

Since the inaugural Swim Across America – Motor City Mile open water swim in 2019, six Rogel Cancer Center researchers have received Swim Across America grants through a competitive grant process.

Those grants have supported Kyoung Eun Lee, Ph.D., in pancreatic cancer research; Phillip Palmbos, M.D., Ph.D., in bladder cancer research; Angel Qin, M.D., in research examining treatment response in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer; Calista Harbaugh, M.D., in colorectal cancer surgery research; and Jiahe Li, Ph.D., in developing technology targeting bacterial toxins in the gut associated with colorectal cancer.

The 2025 grant recipient, Matthew Iyer, M.D., Ph.D., is studying blood samples from pancreatic cancer patients and healthy family members to identify tiny pieces of tumor-related RNA in the blood, research that could ultimately help scientists better understand and detect the disease.

That direct connection between swimmers and researchers is at the heart of Swim Across America’s model: Money raised locally helps fund promising local research that might otherwise struggle to secure early-stage funding.

The October 11 event begins with swimmer check-in from 9:30 to 10 a.m., followed by a welcome at 10:15 a.m. and swimming, music and relays from 10:30 a.m. to noon. A wrap-up and social will follow.

Swimmers are encouraged to raise at least $100. Participants who raise $1,000 or more earn WaveMaker status and special recognition. Swimmers and volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome.

Nationally, Swim Across America has raised more than $150 million for cancer research since its founding in 1987 and has helped fund clinical trials that contributed to FDA-approved cancer immunotherapy medications Keytruda, Opdivo, Yervoy and Tecentriq. In the past year, Swim Across America funded a breakthrough clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering that showed immunotherapy alone could successfully treat certain types of cancer. The organization also recently awarded first-of-their-kind gene editing innovation grants to the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, advancing novel CRISPR gene and base editing techniques used in targeted therapies, immunotherapies and cellular therapies. Swim Across America supports more than 60 cancer research projects annually at many of the nation’s leading cancer institutions.

For more information or to register to swim, volunteer or donate to the Swim Across America – Michigan Pool Swim, visit swimacrossamerica.org/michigan. 

Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer through charity swims across the U.S., will host its 5th annual Swim Across America – Carolina Pool Team Relay Swim on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at the UNC Koury Natatorium in Chapel Hill. Participants take part in fun team relays to raise funds in support of the swim’s local beneficiary UNC Lineberger Cancer Center. Those who cannot make the event in person can participate virtually through SAA My Way. Register to swim, volunteer or donate at swimacrossamerica.org/carolina.

The Swim Across America – Carolina pool swim will also honor Sue Walsh – one of the University of North Carolina’s most decorated athletes and one of the swimming community’s most determined cancer fighters.  

Sue Walsh is captain of the Swim Across America Team Tar Heel, and is already the event’s No. 1 individual fundraiser, with more than $56,287 raised for this year’s swim.

For Sue Walsh, swimming and cancer research have become inseparable.

A long-time Swim Across America supporter, Sue was introduced to the organization by her 1980 Olympic teammate Craig Beardsley. What began as a way for Sue to use the sport she loved to give back, became deeply personal after cancer repeatedly touched her family and then her own life. In 2010, Sue lost her mother, Joan, to melanoma. In 2019, Sue was diagnosed herself with colon cancer. She underwent surgery and was initially declared cancer-free, but in 2022 scans revealed new lesions and she was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer and has been fighting ever since.

Rather than stepping away from the pool, Sue became even more committed to using swimming to help fund better treatments for herself and others.

“Throughout the years, swimming has given me so much joy,” Sue Walsh noted. She has described Swim Across America as a natural way to direct that lifelong passion toward finding better treatments for cancer.

Sue Walsh’s swimming résumé is extraordinary. She was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, won two medals at the 1982 World Aquatics Championships, and during her collegiate career at UNC became a 10-time national champion and three-time Most Outstanding Swimmer at the ACC Championships. She was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and continued competing in masters swimming, setting six age-group world records at the 2007 U.S. Masters Swimming Championships.

Her connection to Chapel Hill also helped give birth to the Swim Across America – Carolina event itself. After her cancer returned, Sue began talking with Swim Across America CEO Rob Butcher and UNC Head Swimming and Diving Coach Mark Gangloff about bringing a pool swim to Koury Natatorium.

The first Swim Across America – Carolina event was held in 2022. The community’s impact has continued to grow, raising more than $570,000 to fight cancer. 

The September 26 Swim Across America – Carolina Team Relay Pool Swim is designed so that competitive swimmers, recreational swimmers, alumni, families and community members can all participate together. For more information, to join a team, participate virtually or donate to Swim Across America – Carolina, visit swimacrossamerica.org/carolina.

Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer through charity swims across the U.S., will host its 16th annual Swim Across America – Dallas Open Water Swim on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall, Texas. Participants can choose from a half-mile, 1-mile or 2-mile open water swim, with proceeds supporting early detection and innovative clinical trials at the Texas Cancer Interception Institute at Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center. Those who cannot swim in person can participate virtually through SAA My Way. Register to swim or volunteer (on land or water) at swimacrossamerica.org/dallas.

Established in 2011, Swim Across America – Dallas has raised more than $3 million to support cancer research and care at Baylor Scott & White Cancer Center. Each year, the event brings together more than 450 swimmers, volunteers, spectators and supporters, along with past and current Olympians, all united by the goal of improving the future for those diagnosed with cancer.

Diving in this year are two cancer survivors who understand firsthand why research matters: Robyn Starnes, captain of Team Fabulous, and Mark Monson, co-captain of Team Mustang.

Robyn Starnes was just 36 years old when she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2014. Surgery and treatment left her unable to speak for a month and changed how she viewed her health and her future. Swimming — a sport she had not pursued seriously in decades — eventually became part of her recovery.

In 2021, a conversation with another former competitive swimmer introduced Robyn to Swim Across America. She signed up almost immediately, and her first Dallas open water swim in 2022 fell on the eight-year anniversary of her thyroidectomy. What began as a single swim quickly became something much larger. Robyn became a dedicated fundraiser, event committee member and Dallas community ambassador and formed Team Fabulous, bringing friends and supporters into the mission with her.

“The three scariest words I ever heard were: ‘You have cancer.’ But now I get to be part of something hopeful,” Robyn shared. “Being part of Swim Across America and actually doing something to help so many with cancer is cathartic. It’s a great community and I love being a part of something so important.”

Mark Monson’s connection to Swim Across America also began before cancer became personal. He first participated in the Dallas swim in 2016 because he loved swimming and wanted to support friends and family members who had faced cancer.

Then, in January 2022, Monson was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer.

The longtime Swim Across America participant suddenly became one for whom  would benefit from the money raised. Today, Mark is celebrating a milestone that once seemed far from certain: He currently has no evidence of disease.

Throughout the past decade, Mark has raised approximately $15,000 for Swim Across America – Dallas and continues to return to Lake Ray Hubbard each year.

“I am motivated to continue raising money because I know precisely where the money goes, and I can see progress being made,” Mark said. 

That progress is increasingly focused on stopping cancer earlier. Funds raised by the Swim Across America – Dallas swim support the Texas Cancer Interception Institute, which brings together research, advanced technologies and clinical care with the goal of detecting and intercepting cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages.

For survivors such as Robyn Starnes and Mark Monson, that creates a powerful connection between every lap swum and every dollar raised.

Nationally, Swim Across America has raised more than $150 million for cancer research since its founding in 1987 and has helped fund clinical trials that contributed to the FDA-approved cancer immunotherapy medications Keytruda, Opdivo, Yervoy and Tecentriq. In the past year, Swim Across America funded a breakthrough clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering that showed that immunotherapy alone could successfully treat certain types of cancer. The organization also recently awarded two first-of-its-kind gene editing innovation grants to the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, advancing novel CRISPR gene and base editing techniques used in targeted therapies, immunotherapies and cellular therapies. Swim Across America supports more than 60 cancer research projects annually, has eight named Swim Across America labs, and supports work at many of the nation’s leading cancer institutions.

For more information, to register to swim, volunteer, participate virtually or donate to Swim Across America – Dallas, visit swimacrossamerica.org/dallas.

Swim Across America, the national nonprofit that raises funds for cancer research through charity swims across the United States, celebrated the official naming of the Swim Across America Hematology and Oncology Translational Research Laboratory at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte on Sept. 1.

The designation marks the 10th named Swim Across America cancer research laboratory in the country and recognizes the impact that swimmers, volunteers and donors have made in advancing innovative cancer research and treatment.

“The Swim Across America Research Lab at Levine Cancer Institute recognizes our past and future commitments to grant funding that is driving innovation in how cancer is detected and treated,” commented Rob Butcher, CEO of Swim Across America. “Swim Across America’s mission is to fund cancer research. We have named labs at some of the nation’s top cancer centers and are appreciative to have this recognition with Levine Cancer Institute.”

Other Swim Across America named labs are at: 

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York, New York)
• Johns Hopkins Medicine Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (Baltimore, Maryland)
• Rush University Cancer Center (Chicago)
• Weill Cornell Medicine Meyer Cancer Center (New York, New York)
• Fred Hutch Cancer Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (Seattle, Washington)
• Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Atlanta, Georgia)
• UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals (Oakland & San Francisco, California)
• Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center(Dallas, Texas)
• Nantucket Cottage Hospital (Nantucket, Massachusetts)

To mark such a momentous occasion, Swim Across America and Atrium Health leaders, physicians and researchers gathered at Levine Cancer Institute for the lab dedication. The lab designation included the unveiling and placement of the laboratory plaque, followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of the cancer research laboratory and discussion of the research being supported by philanthropic funding.

Attendees included: Rob Butcher, CEO of Swim Across America; Patty Waldron, Swim Across America – Charlotte event director; Ruben Mesa, M.D., FACP, president of Advocate Health Cancer National Service Line and executive director of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Mark Griffith, vice president of Atrium Health Foundation NC & GA.

“Gifts from partners like Swim Across America allow us to uphold the ‘loved one standard,’ which is our commitment to providing every patient with the same care we would want for our own families,” noted Dr. Ruben Mesa, president of Atrium Health Levine Cancer.

“Community partners are essential to enhancing cancer care across Atrium Health,” said Mark Griffith, president of Atrium Health Foundation and Advocate Health’s vice president of philanthropy for North Carolina and Georgia. “We are grateful to Swim Across America for helping to expand access to cancer programs and cutting-edge research.”

The lab naming is especially significant for Swim Across America, which is headquartered in Charlotte. Across the country, Swim Across America works to provide critical early-stage funding that can help researchers pursue promising ideas, generate data and move innovative treatments toward clinical trials and ultimately to patients.

Nationally, Swim Across America has raised more than $150 million for cancer research since its founding in 1987 and has helped fund clinical trials that contributed to the FDA-approved cancer immunotherapy medications Keytruda, Opdivo, Yervoy and Tecentriq. In the past year, Swim Across America funded a breakthrough clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering that showed immunotherapy alone could successfully treat certain types of cancer. The organization also recently awarded two first-of-their-kind gene-editing innovation grants to the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, advancing novel CRISPR gene- and base-editing techniques used in targeted therapies, immunotherapies and cellular therapies.

The celebration also comes just weeks before the 10th annual Swim Across America – Charlotte Open Water Swim, which will be held Sunday, Oct. 4, at YMCA Camp Thunderbird on Lake Wylie in South Carolina. Hundreds of swimmers, volunteers, spectators and supporters are expected to come together to “Make Waves to Fight Cancer,” with proceeds supporting Levine Cancer Institute and Levine Children’s Hospital.

The Oct. 4 event begins at 10 a.m. and offers half-mile, 1-mile and 2-mile open water swim distances. Participants may also volunteer, donate or support the event through SAA My Way, Swim Across America’s virtual participation option. For more information, to register to swim or volunteer, or to donate to Swim Across America – Charlotte, visit swimacrossamerica.org/charlotte.

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 open water and pool swims in 27 communities across the United States — from Nantucket to under the Golden Gate Bridge — Swim Across America, along with the help of thousands of swimmers and volunteers nationwide and past and current Olympians, is helping find better treatments and a cure for cancer through athleticism, community outreach and direct service. To learn more, visit swimacrossamerica.org.