Read or watch local stories featuring the Swim Across America-Motor City Mile community to learn about their impact. Learn more about the event and beneficiary, Rogel Cancer Center, at swimacrossamerica.org/detroit.
Imagine swimming two miles from Punta Faro in Sicily to Cannitello, Calabria on the Boot of the Italian Peninsula. Three high school swimmers from Cincinnati, Ohio did just that on June 27, 2023, to raise funds for pediatric cancer research.
The route, known as the Strait of Messina, earned them the moniker, the Marlins in Messina. “Marlins” being a nod to their local club swim team, the Cincinnati Marlins.
For Sydney Herr, Natalie Gockerman and Chloe Otten, each 17 years old, the challenge in the Mediterranean Sea tested the physical and mental stamina required to cross the waters. However, they know that many other young people have a much tougher battle.
Chloe Otten, Nathalie Gockerman and Sydney Herr
“Distance swimming in open water is nothing compared to the fight against cancer that some families endure,” said Sydney.
Swimming, and a passion for positively impacting their community, bind the three together. The trio became teammates in 2018 as members of Ohio’s state Zone Team. Last August they hosted a Swim Across America pool swim which raised over $15,000. This year, they registered as SAA My Way participants and committed to expand their support for Swim Across America.
Each swimmer has a personal connection to Swim Across America’s mission to raise funds for cancer research through swimming.
“I am incredibly passionate about making a difference in the world. Every child deserves the opportunity to live cancer free and I am committed to giving any child battling cancer hope,” said Sydney.
“I am swimming in honor of my grandmother who successfully battled stage 4 breast cancer,” explained Natalie. “I’m thankful to the doctors and nurses who provided her with the best treatment and care.”
“Unfortunately, I lost my grandmother to pancreatic cancer in 2016 and my cousin recently to heart failure. My cousin was very young and he motivates me every day to live to the fullest,” said Chloe. “It breaks my heart to know that other families also struggle through these kinds of tragedies. I want to raise money to support the research Swim Across America funds.”
In addition to their team fundraising page, the trio designed and sold customized t-shirts for their Messina event and secured a financial contribution for Swim Across America from the Kendra Scott Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the national jewelry company.
If you are moved to support the Marlins in Messina, 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.
Read or watch local stories featuring the Swim Across America-Denver community to learn about their impact. Learn more about the event and beneficiary, Children’s Hospital Colorado, at swimacrossamerica.org/denver.
Julie Brabbs Swim Across America – Motor City Mile 5 years supporting Swim Across America Age: 56
Julie Brabbs has a few important connections to Swim Across America and its mission.
Julie is the chief administrative officer at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center. She has a unique perspective on cancer as she supports the cancer center and its many missions daily.
In 2015, her job became much more meaningful when she was diagnosed with cancer. Being in the cancer field, Julie knew that innovative new treatments are the key to successfully treating the disease.
“Swim Across America’s grants to support clinical research and investigators are so, so important,” said Julie. “Cancer research funding is often hard to come by and the Swim Across America grants are necessary for making progress in breakthroughs like immunotherapy.”
Julie first attended the Swim Across America – Motor City Mile event in 2019, its inaugural year. She did so in honor of a friend who sadly had passed away from glioblastoma (brain cancer).
“At that time, I myself had cancer in 2015, but after standard treatment, I was in remission. Now, participating in the upcoming Swim Across America – Motor City Mile event has even more meaning as I am once again a cancer patient. My cancer came back in 2022 and I am currently taking Keytruda (an immunotherapy drug) as part of my treatment regimen, an option that wasn’t available in 2015 when I was first diagnosed.”
Julie thanks Swim Across America and its early-stage funding of Keytruda, which is now available to treat more than 30 different types of cancer, including Julie’s.
“Thanks to the hard work of Swim Across America, Keytruda was amazingly created in a Swim Across America lab. It’s amazing what swimming to raise money for cancer research can really do!”
This year, Julie is participating as a volunteer and SAA My Way participant, which means instead of swimming, she is doing other activities to raise funds to fight cancer. If you are moved to support Julie and Team Rogel, 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.
Read or watch local stories featuring the Swim Across America-Fairfield County community to learn about their impact. Learn more about the event and beneficiary, Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy, at swimacrossamerica.org/fc.
Steve Chestler gives new meaning to the phrase Swim Across America “champion.”
“The 2022 Nassau/Suffolk-Sound to Cove charity swim was the most amazing event I have ever been to. Hearing doctors and researchers speak about the work they are doing to find a cure for this devastating disease is something my children and I will never forget. It’s what keeps Team Carolyn so focused and determined on fundraising as much as possible.”
This year is Steve and Team Carolyn’s second year supporting Swim Across America and they have made a remarkable impact in those two years raising over $400,000 combined. In 2022, Team Carolyn was the number two fundraising team for Swim Across America.
The team is named in memory of Steve’s wife, Carolyn Jaenisch, who was diagnosed with Terminal Adenocarcinoma in July 2021 and passed away just six months later. Carolyn and Steve have a daughter, Caitlin, and a son, Gregory. Carolyn was an avid swimmer who swam with Long Island Masters and Excel Swim Club for 21 years on Long Island. Read more about the Chestler family here.
“After Carolyn’s passing, getting involved with Swim Across America felt like the most meaningful way our family and friends could honor her and keep her spirit alive,” said Steve.
“The community we have found in Swim Across America is unbelievable. We all want to help and do something for our loved ones, and we are all fighting for a cure. We have a huge extended family here and we are in this together.”
To further this feeling of “extended family,” this year, Team Carolyn is fundraising in support of one of their own team members, Derrick Edwin. Derrick is a seasoned triathlete who unknowingly competed in an Iron Man competition in September 2021 while having colon cancer.
Though Derrick’s Stage 4 diagnosis was shocking, he maintains a positive attitude and upbeat spirit throughout his immunotherapy treatment. And when his friend, Steve, asked him to join Team Carolyn, it was a no-brainer.
“Swim Across America has provided me with an unbeatable support system. I hope to spread hope and positivity to all my cancer warriors fighting this disease. We can beat this!” said Derrick.
If you are moved to support Team Carolyn, 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.
Marjorie Trifone Swim Across America – Fairfield County Hometown: Darien, Connecticut 10 years supporting Swim Across America Age: 60
Marjorie (Marj) Trifone is no stranger to leading a strong team. She’s the head coach of the Darien High School Blue Wave Swim Team in her hometown, Darien, Connecticut.
At the Swim Across America – Fairfield County event, she also leads the team, Blue Wave Swim and Dive, whose members are students and alumni of the same high school team. Since 2016, the Blue Wave Swim and Dive team has raised over $27,500.
This year, Marj celebrates 10 years of supporting Swim Across America.
“Swimming is what we do, so I feel it is a wonderful event to be involved with for swimmers,” said Marj. “It shows them the other side of swimming not just for competition but for helping others.”
In addition to her ties to swimming, Marj has a personal connection to Swim Across America’s mission.
“I swim because my mother was a cancer survivor. She had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and underwent an experimental bone-marrow transplant in 1988 at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and then went on to live 21 more years!”
Swim Across America – Boston has supported clinical research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute since its first swim in 1996.
Marj and her family went through a challenging time as her mother bravely battled cancer. This experience is what gives Marj the drive and purpose to swim with the Blue Wave Swim and Dive for Swim Across America – Fairfield County – for family and friends still who have battled or are still struggling with the disease.
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.
When you hear Mike Ford talk about TEAM HOPE, one word comes up over and over again – family. In fact, the word is a part of their “rallying cry.”
“We are swimmers, we are friends, we are families…We are TEAM HOPE!”
Mike was inspired to create TEAM HOPE in 2004 in honor of three close friends who were battling cancer. [Read the full history here.] This year marks TEAM HOPE’s 20th year participating in Swim Across America events and the team has goal of raising $100,000. Since their first event, the team has raised a remarkable $1.4 million to support local beneficiaries.
“We’ve been together a long time. We’ve accomplished a lot over the years,” said Mike. “And, in so doing, we have become one big family.”
Joining TEAM HOPE becomes a bit of a family tradition for its ever-growing roster of members. Many of whom join because they have a loved one who is fighting cancer and they want to take action to help them in some way.
“If you look at a picture from our very first year, you’ll see some of the same faces in a picture from 2022. You’ll see even more faces because as everyone grows up and grows their families, they become members of TEAM HOPE.”
This “family history” is captured each year in the dedication board Mike has at the events.
“We all write down who we are swimming for, who we are honoring. The younger team members write down, ‘Grandpa’ or ‘Aunt Judy,’ and being a part of TEAM HOPE makes them feel like they are doing something important to help their family members. It makes them feel like they are making a difference.”
Over the years, members of TEAM HOPE have honored many, including Mike’s wife, Patti, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2005 and passed in 2016 after a courageous decade-long battle.
“Unfortunately, we aren’t unique. Everyone is fighting for someone. What makes us special is that we do it as a family.”
If you are moved to support TEAM HOPE to help them reach their $100,000 goal, you can donate here. Want to become part of the TEAM HOPE family? Join the team here.
Read or watch local stories featuring the Swim Across America-Charleston-Kiawah community to learn about their impact. Learn more about the event and beneficiary, Hollings Cancer Center, at swimacrossamerica.org/kiawah.
Gretchen Hull Swim Across America – Nantucket Hometown: Nantucket, MA 10 years supporting Swim Across America Age: 49
Gretchen Hull is a triple threat supporter of Swim Across America. She’s an oncology nurse and Director of Infusion Services at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, passionate about health and personal wellness, and a swimmer!
In Gretchen’s own words, “the mission of Swim Across America – Nantucket – to support cancer services and research – aligns perfectly with my professional and personal goals.”
Gretchen has worked at Nantucket Cottage Hospital since 2002 and has been involved with Swim Across America for over a decade. It wasn’t until 2014, when Keytruda, of which Swim Across America assisted funding research, first became available at NCH, that she truly felt the impact and miracle of groundbreaking immunotherapy research.
“When Keytruda became available in 2014 there were only two chemotherapy certified nurses at NCH. I was the first nurse at my facility to administer Keytruda for its first indication. I knew it was a pivotal time in cancer care.”
Gretchen watched how the introduction of immune therapy changed the course of patient’s lives and trajectory of cancer diagnosis from terminal to chronic and curative at times. Moreover, how immunotherapy redefined how we view cancer and how cancer treatments have expanded across multiple types of cancer and benefited millions of people.
“I have to emphasize to nurses beginning their practice after the dawn of immunotherapy exactly how groundbreaking it is. I use the term “miracle” when referring to some outcomes.”
This year, Gretchen will swim the 4-mile course at Swim Across America – Nantucket.
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 