Hundreds Dive In at 17th Annual Swim Across America – Seattle Open Water Swim on September 12 to Make Waves to Fight Cancer

Posted on August 20, 2026 Posted in UncategorizedTagged cancer, cancer research, fundraising, health, hospital, media, News, olympians, seattle events, seattle fundraising, seattle research, seattle swimming, swim across america, swimming, televisionLeave a comment

More Than 600 Swimmers and Volunteers Expected at Lake Sammamish; Seattle Swim Has Raised More Than $6 Million for Early-Stage Cancer Research and Clinical Trials at Fred Hutch Cancer Center

Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer through charity swims across the U.S., will host the 17th annual Swim Across America – Seattle Open Water Swim on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Lake Sammamish State Park’s Sunset Beach, 2010 NW Sammamish Road, in Issaquah, Washington. Swimmers can choose a half-mile, 1-mile or 2-mile open water swim, and volunteers on land and in the water are also needed. Those unable to participate in person can still make waves to fight cancer through SAA My Way, Swim Across America’s virtual option. Proceeds support early-stage cancer research and clinical trials at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. To register to swim, volunteer or donate, visit swimacrossamerica.org/seattle.

Established in 2009, Swim Across America – Seattle has raised more than $6 million for Fred Hutch Cancer Center. Each year, the event brings together more than 600 swimmers and volunteers, along with spectators, supporters and Olympians, for a morning dedicated to helping researchers pursue promising new approaches to cancer treatment.

“For 17 years, this community has shown up for patients, families and researchers with an extraordinary amount of heart,” said Scott Whelan, co-event director of Swim Across America – Seattle. “The money raised at Lake Sammamish provides the kind of early funding that can help researchers take an innovative idea, gather the evidence and move it closer to a clinical trial or a new treatment. Every swimmer, volunteer and donor is part of that process.”

For Janie Lemley, captain of Team InMemory, this year’s swim comes after cancer research and treatment became more personal than ever. Janie Lemley formed Team InMemory in 2021 after growing tired of losing family members and friends to cancer. Then, in September 2024, her husband of 42 years, Dave Lemley, struggled to finish his Swim Across America swim. At the time, neither knew why. Two months later, Dave was diagnosed with plasma cell leukemia, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer.

By April 2025, Dave was at Fred Hutch having his stem cells collected through apheresis. He subsequently received a double stem cell transplant, with transplants in May and June at the Veterans Affairs hospital’s Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.

“Especially after this cancer journey with Dave, I am more determined than ever to raise money for cancer research,” Janie Lemley said. “Many of the clinical trials for stem cell transplants happened here in Seattle at Fred Hutch. If you are able, please donate in order to give hope and healing to future cancer survivors.”

Janie Lemley originally named Team InMemory to honor those her family and teammates had lost, including her father-in-law Dr. Paul Lemley, her cousin Rosalie Proko and her grandfather Raymond P. Buck. This year, the list grew again when she lost her cousin Anne “Sissin” Winton to colon cancer in April.

The Lemleys’ story reflects the reason Swim Across America – Seattle has spent nearly two decades investing in early-stage research: discoveries made in the laboratory can ultimately become the treatments available to patients and families facing cancer.

“It is one thing to talk about the potential of research; it is another to have members of our own Swim Across America family experience firsthand the treatments and procedures that years of research helped make possible,” said Beth Hykes, co-event director of Swim Across America – Seattle and co-team captain of Dogs for the Cause: mission pawsable.“Janie and Dave remind us exactly why we keep coming back to Lake Sammamish and why supporting researchers at the earliest stages of discovery matters.”

Another participant who has been part of the Seattle swim from the beginning is David Dey, captain of Team Martha Ries and a former Swim Across America – Seattle event director.

Dey and his wife, Martha Ries, helped organize, swim and raise funds for Fred Hutch beginning with the inaugural Seattle event in 2009. In 2015, Martha was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She endured two rounds of chemotherapy, surgeries and a clinical trial before passing away on May 29, 2016, just 10 months after her diagnosis.

David Dey has continued the work they began together.

Throughout the years, cancer has touched his family and friends repeatedly. Martha’s sister Margaret had a cancerous brain tumor successfully removed in 2023 and is now in remission. Dey’s sister-in-law Dana passed away in March 2025 after a four-year battle with colorectal cancer, while another sister-in-law, Mia, is currently battling breast cancer. His friend and fellow triathlete Bill Kinsella died from pancreatic cancer in 2017.

“We started Swim Across America – Seattle in 2009 when our kids were just 6 years old,” David Dey noted. “Much has happened since then, and we have made a difference in the fight against cancer. Our private funding is the initial angel-funding investment that helps researchers further discoveries that can become breakthrough treatment therapies. Today, private funding is particularly important for researchers to continue making discoveries.”

The research supported by Swim Across America – Seattle has included projects exploring new therapies for colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and lung cancer, as well as CAR T-cell immunotherapies and treatments for lymphoma and leukemia.

Current top fundraiser Linda Warren, captain of Team No Limits, has also participated since the inaugural Seattle swim and continues to return in honor and memory of the growing number of friends, relatives and colleagues in her life who have faced cancer.

“This is Year 17 for the Swim Across America Seattle fundraising swim, and I’ll be back in the water with Team No Limits,” Linda Warren said. “There are too many impacted by cancer now to name — friends, family, colleagues — each one a reason I keep coming back to this swim.”

For Linda, progress against cancer comes from years of persistent scientific work — and from ensuring promising researchers have the resources to continue that work.

“When I’m in the water this September, it’s about those I love,” Linda said. “It’s about making sure that the next family member or friend who hears the word ‘cancer’ has better odds than the last one did.”

Beth Hykes has her own reason for returning year after year. She first swam with Swim Across America in 2010 and joined the volunteer Seattle organizing team in 2015. This year, she and Paul Ulrickson are co-captains of Dogs for the Cause: Mission Pawsable, a team inspired by the belief that early funding can give researchers the opportunity to pursue ideas with the potential to change cancer care.

Beth swims in honor of several family members and friends touched by cancer and in memory of others she has lost. She is also joined in her Swim Across America efforts by her golden retriever, Casey.

“I want to be part of the change that helps give more families hope,” Beth said. “You don’t have to be a swimmer to make an impact. You can volunteer, swim in person or virtually, join a team or make a donation. There are so many ways to be part of this mission.”

Paul Ulrikson’s reason for participating is similarly rooted in the people cancer has taken and those still fighting it.

“Since our last swim, goodbyes have been said to family and good friends because of cancer, while others have been diagnosed or had a recurrence,” Paul shared. “I choose to stay hopeful. Two partners foster that hope: Swim Across America and Fred Hutch Cancer Center. Through donations, we can and are making a difference.”

Other swimmers are carrying entire families with them into Lake Sammamish.

Suzanne Koontz will swim the 2-mile course with family members Atticus and Emily in honor of her brothers Fred and Jerry, both cancer survivors; Fred’s wife, Elena, a cancer and stroke survivor; and her brother Jeff Nelson, who is undergoing treatment for skin cancer. She also swims in memory of loved ones who did not survive cancer, including Jim Koontz.

“Many of us have family and friends who have been touched by cancer,” Suzanne said. “Let’s continue this work toward fighting this battle.”

Swim Across America – Seattle participants have also seen the promise of cancer research through survivors including Debbie Buck, who is in remission from breast cancer, and Jeff Sloan, a stage 4 melanoma survivor whose treatment was made possible by advances in cancer research.

For the hundreds gathering at Sunset Beach on September 12, those stories — of survival, loss, research and hope — are what transform an open water swim into something much larger.

“Everyone at the beach has a name, a face or a story that brought them here,” Beth Hykes noted. “Together, those individual stories become a community determined to make the future different for the next person who hears the words, ‘You have cancer.’ That is what it means to make waves to fight cancer.”

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 join as a swimmer, volunteer, or to participate virtually or donate to Swim Across America – Seattle, visit swimacrossamerica.org/seattle.

Swimmers to Dive Into San Francisco Bay September 12 to Make Waves to Fight Cancer at Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay Area Open Water Swim

Posted on August 20, 2026 Posted in UncategorizedTagged california swimming, cancer, cancer research, charity swim, charity swimming, fundraising, health, media, olympians, san francisco, san francisco events, san francisco swimming, swim across america, swimming event california, televisionLeave a comment

More Than 500 Swimmers, Volunteers and Supporters Expected; Bay Area Swim Has Granted More Than $7 Million to Support Pediatric Cancer Research and Survivorship Programs at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals

Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer through charity swims across the U.S., will host the 21st annual Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay Area Open Water Swim on Saturday, September 12, 2026. The iconic 1.5-mile point-to-point swim starts at Little Marina Green, 3650 Yacht Road, in San Francisco, and finishes in Aquatic Park. Swimmers, volunteers and kayakers are invited to participate and help raise funds for pediatric cancer research and patient care supporting the swim’s beneficiary UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in Oakland and San Francisco. Those who cannot participate in person can still make waves to fight cancer through SAA My Way, Swim Across America’s virtual option. To register, volunteer or donate, visit swimacrossamerica.org/sanfrancisco.

Established in 2006, Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay Area has granted more than $7 million to support the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute and the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco Survivors of Childhood Cancer Program. Each year, the charity swim brings together more than 500 swimmers, volunteers, spectators and supporters, along with Olympians and other special guests, for one of the Bay Area’s most memorable open water events.

“For 20 years, this community has shown what can happen when individuals take something they love — swimming — and turn it into a way to help families facing cancer,” said Laura Hovden, co-event director of Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay Area. “More than $7 million has gone directly to our local UCSF programs because swimmers, volunteers, kayakers, donors and teams keep showing up year after year. Our swim is about coming together, making waves and giving patients more hope and researchers more funds to make a difference.”

Few embody that commitment more than longtime swimmer, former San Francisco event director and three-time cancer survivor Susan Helmrich, captain of Team Susan Survives and one of this year’s leading fundraisers.

This year marks 49 years since Susan Helmrich’s first cancer diagnosis. She was just 21 years old when she was treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Her second cancer diagnosis came 28 years ago. In 2009, she faced cancer for a third time and underwent a 6½-hour Whipple procedure for neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer, followed by 23 days at Stanford Hospital.

Through it all, Susan has made raising money for cancer research a central part of her life. Throughout the years, Team Susan Survives has raised more than $1 million for local pediatric cancer research programs. As Susan approaches her 71st birthday, she has set an ambitious goal for this year: recruit 71 swimmers, kayakers, runners, cyclists, yogis, dancers, hikers, walkers and other supporters to Team Susan Survives and together raise $171,000 through the open water swim and SAA My Way.

“I am honored and proud to have survived cancer three times, and I want nothing more than to have anyone who ever gets a cancer diagnosis have the chance to live and survive as I have,” Susan said. “As the years go on, I realize that I am committed more than ever to raising money to help investigators, researchers, physicians and support services find a cure for cancer in our lifetime.”

Susan Helmrich is also swimming in memory of her mother, Edna Helmrich, who passed away in 2019 at age 92 and was herself a 53-year breast cancer survivor.

“She was my role model and my hero,” Susan said. “This year, I’m hoping that friends, old and new, from near and far will join me and Team Susan Survives to raise money for pediatric cancer research at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland.”

Another team entering the San Francisco Bay this year will be carrying the memory of someone deeply loved.

Team Batt Bunch, also known as KeckCrewSF, is captained by Mike Keck and will swim in honor and memory of Brian Batt, husband of Rene and father of swimmers Amelia and Sarah Batt. The team has participated in Swim Across America for many years, but its fight against cancer became profoundly personal when Brian was diagnosed with cancer.

Even while undergoing treatment, Brian remained determined to be there for his daughters. He scheduled his treatment so he could travel to England when Amelia and Sarah participated in an English Channel relay in 2022, where Amelia had the honor of touching France for the team, and again for their Loch Lomond swim in 2024. During treatment, Brian continued showing up at Aquatic Park to cheer the girls on during their training swims. Brian succumbed to cancer in the fall of 2025.

“Brian fought with strength, courage and dignity, and he kept showing up for his family through all of it,” Mike Keck said. “For years, we swam with Swim Across America to fight cancer. Then that fight became very real for our family and our team. Brian is missed terribly, but we will carry on just like he did, and we hope what we do can help spare other families from experiencing that same loss.”

The money raised by swimmers such as Helmrich, Keck and their teammates is already helping scientists at UCSF pursue promising new approaches to pediatric cancer.

Julie Saba, M.D., Ph.D., a UCSF pediatric oncologist, cancer researcher and director of the Swim Across America-supported research laboratory at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, leads research examining the genetic and metabolic drivers of childhood cancers. Her research team has identified important genetic drivers of neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer, and has shown that disrupting the gene’s activity can prevent neuroblastoma cells from forming tumors. This research could ultimately offer a new avenue for targeting cancers in which the AF1q gene plays a role. Swim Across America funding helped support this work.

Saba also leads the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Swimmers, now in its eighth year participating in the San Francisco event.

“Without Swim Across America, I could not undertake the high-risk, high-reward studies that we believe hold benefit for the children and adults with cancer of tomorrow,” Saba said. “Nonprofit support of research is more important than ever.”

For Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay Area Co-Event Director Jackie NeJaime, the connection between the swimmers and researchers is what makes the event especially powerful.

“Our swimmers get to see exactly why their fundraising matters,” Jackie said. “Researchers like Dr. Saba are pursuing ideas that might otherwise struggle to get early funding, while our survivorship programs are helping young people long after their cancer treatment ends. When we swim from Little Marina Green to Aquatic Park, we know where the money is going and the impact this community is helping make.”

The event is also inspiring a new generation of swimmers to get involved.

Friends of Armada, captained by Julie Herson, returns for its third year with youth competitive swimmers from Albany Armada Aquatics Club. The team has already raised more than $17,000 during its involvement with Swim Across America and is working to raise even more this year for UCSF patients, physicians and researchers.

Also returning is UCSF Team Newborn, captained by Tom Shimotake, M.D., which will mark its 15th year participating in the San Francisco Bay swim. The team is made up of friends and supporters of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Intensive Care Nursery who share a commitment to fighting childhood cancer. Nearly one-quarter of pediatric malignancies are diagnosed during the first year of life, giving the team’s mission a particularly close connection to the patients its members serve.

Among the San Francisco community’s other leading fundraisers this year is Berkeley marathon swimmer Maya Merhige, who completed both the North Channel and Strait of Gibraltar this summer as part of her quest to complete the Oceans Seven. Merhige will be away at college on the day of the San Francisco swim but continues to raise funds for Swim Across America and its cancer research mission.

From cancer survivors to families swimming in memory of loved ones, young competitive swimmers and UCSF physicians and researchers, the September 12 swim will bring together hundreds with a shared goal: using the waters of San Francisco Bay to help create better outcomes for people facing cancer.

“Whether this is your first open water swim or you’ve been swimming in the Bay for decades, there is a place for you in this community,” Laura Hovden noted. “Swim, kayak, volunteer, create your own SAA My Way activity or support someone who is participating. Every person can help us make waves to fight cancer.”

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 join as a swimmer, volunteer or kayaker, or to participate virtually or donate to Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay Area, visit swimacrossamerica.org/sanfrancisco.

Hundreds Dive in on Saturday, August 29, the 11th Annual Swim Across America – St. Louis Open Water Swim to Make Waves to Fight Cancer

Posted on August 20, 2026August 20, 2026 Posted in UncategorizedTagged breast cancer, cancer, cancer research, college swimming, fundraising, health, media, News, olympians, siteman cancer center, st louis, st louis events, st louis swimming, swim across america, swimmers, swimming, television, travel, wellnessLeave a comment

Nearly 600 Participants Expected at Alpine Lake to Raise Funds for Siteman Cancer Center; Team IBK Rallies Around Teammate Jean Roberson During Her Own Pancreatic Cancer Journey

Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer through charity swims across the U.S., will host the 11th annual Swim Across America – St. Louis Open Water Swim on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Alpine Lake at Innsbrook Resort in Innsbrook, Missouri. Participants can choose from a half-mile, 1-mile or 2-mile open water swim, with proceeds supporting cutting-edge cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine. Those who cannot swim in person can still volunteer, donate or participate virtually through SAA My Way. Learn more at swimacrossamerica.org/stlouis.

Since its launch in 2016, Swim Across America – St. Louis has raised more than $2.3 million for Siteman Cancer Center. During the past decade, the event has grown into one of the largest gatherings for the regional swim community, welcoming nearly 600 participants each year, along with hundreds of volunteers, spectators and supporters and appearances by Olympic gold medalists and other special guests. The swim has reached capacity for the past four years.

This year, one of the reasons swimmers are diving in, is to support one of their own. Jean Roberson, a longtime Swim Across America participant who spent years raising money for others facing cancer, has unexpectedly found herself on the other side of that equation.

Roberson has participated in Swim Across America – St. Louis since 2019, with her husband volunteering alongside her. Last year, the couple expanded their commitment by hosting a fundraiser at their Alpine Lake home as part of the 2025 Swim Across America weekend. They also created Team Jessica in memory of Roberson’s niece, who passed away from cancer in her mid-20s.

Then, approximately six months ago, Roberson received her own devastating diagnosis: pancreatic cancer.

After undergoing chemotherapy, Roberson had major surgery in July and is continuing her follow-up treatment, including care through Siteman Cancer Center. This year, instead of simply swimming in memory and honor of others touched by cancer, members of the Swim Across America community are now swimming for her.

Roberson is a member of Team IBK, a group of more than 45 swimmers representing the Innsbrook community and beyond. The team is captained by Bill Wilson, a cancer survivor himself and one of the event directors for Swim Across America – St. Louis.

“Jean has supported Swim Across America for years as a swimmer, fundraiser and friend, always focused on helping other patients and families,” Wilson said. “Now our community has the opportunity to rally around Jean. Her story is an incredibly powerful reminder of why we do this and why funding cancer research is so important.”

Team IBK has become a fundraising powerhouse within the St. Louis swim. Last year, the team raised more than $70,000 and has continued an unbroken streak as the top fundraising team at Swim Across America – St. Louis, while also ranking among the organization’s top teams nationally.

“Team IBK will once again represent the community of Innsbrook and beyond on Saturday, August 29, as we participate in the 11th annual Swim Across America – St. Louis Open Water Swim at Alpine Lake,” Wilson said. “We will support the fight to find a cure by participating, volunteering and raising funds to support cutting-edge research at Siteman Cancer Center. May it lead to a cancer-free world.”

Wilson will once again swim a mile at this year’s event while captaining Team IBK. For him, each trip across Alpine Lake represents friends and loved ones who have faced cancer as well as his own experience as a cancer survivor.

“I swim in honor of those who have fought, or are fighting, this insidious disease and in memory of the dear friends I have lost to it,” Wilson said.

The connection between Swim Across America – St. Louis and Siteman Cancer Center is especially meaningful to participants such as Roberson and Wilson because money raised in the community stays in the community, supporting innovative cancer research that can ultimately lead to new treatments, clinical trials and better outcomes for patients.

“Every swimmer, volunteer and donor at Alpine Lake is part of something much larger than a one-day swim,” Wilson said. “We have seen firsthand how cancer research changes lives. When nearly 600 people come together in one place with the same goal, it sends an incredibly powerful message to patients and families that they are not fighting cancer alone.”

For more information, to join as a swimmer, volunteer, or to participate virtually or donate to Swim Across America – St. Louis, visit swimacrossamerica.org/stlouis.

Hundreds of Swimmers Set to Dive in at 17th Annual Swim Across America – Rhode Island Open Water Swim to Make Waves to Fight Cancer and Honor Retiring Providence College Coach John O’Neill on September 12

Posted on August 20, 2026 Posted in UncategorizedTagged books, cancer, cancer research, college fundraising, college retirement, college swimming, fiction, fundraising, history, life, media, News, olympians, providence, rhode island, swim across america, swimming, writingLeave a comment

Nearly 900 Swimmers and Volunteers Expected at Roger Wheeler State Beach; Nation’s Largest Swim Across America Event Has Raised More Than $3 Million for Cancer Research at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island

Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer through charity swims across the U.S., will host the 17th annual Swim Across America – Rhode Island Open Water Swim on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Roger Wheeler State Beach, 100 Sand Hill Cove Road, in Narragansett. Swimmers of all ages are invited to participate in a quarter-mile, half-mile or 1-mile open water swim, as well as the Kids Splash & Dash. Those unable to participate in person can still make waves to fight cancer through SAA My Way, Swim Across America’s virtual option. Proceeds support cancer research at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island. To register to swim, volunteer or donate, visit swimacrossamerica.org/rhodeisland.

Established in 2010, Swim Across America – Rhode Island has raised more than $3 million for cancer research at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island. Each year, the swim attracts nearly 900 swimmers and volunteers, making it the largest Swim Across America event in the country. The Rhode Island swim also attracts close to a dozen collegiate swim teams — more than any other Swim Across America event nationwide — along with Olympians and other special guests, including Rhode Island native and Olympic medalist Elizabeth Beisel.

This year’s swim will be especially meaningful as the Swim Across America community celebrates a longtime participant who has helped make the Rhode Island event what it is today: Providence College Swimming & Diving Head Coach John O’Neill, who is retiring this year after an extraordinary 36 seasons leading the Friars.

The September 12 Swim Across America – Rhode Island open water swim will serve as the morning kickoff to a full day celebrating Coach O’Neill, with swimmers, Providence College alumni, former athletes, colleagues and friends coming together at Roger Wheeler State Beach to honor his commitment to swimming — and to cancer research. A retirement reception honoring O’Neill will follow later that evening on the Providence College campus.

Coach O’Neill’s involvement with Swim Across America – Rhode Island has spanned 16 years. Through his relationships with coaches and collegiate programs throughout New England, he has helped build the Rhode Island swim into the Swim Across America event with the largest collegiate participation in the country. Providence College Swimming & Diving alone has raised more than $550,000 to support cancer research in support of Swim Across America – Rhode Island’s local beneficiary, Women & Infants Hospital.

“Coach O’Neill has been such an important part of Swim Across America – Rhode Island for the past 16 years,” said Doug Sayles, event director of Swim Across America – Rhode Island. “He has brought generations of Providence College swimmers into this event, helped engage college programs from throughout New England, and most importantly, shown young athletes how they can use the sport they love to make a meaningful difference for families facing cancer. We are incredibly grateful to John and thrilled that this year’s swim can be part of celebrating his remarkable career.”

Coach O’Neill originally became involved with the Rhode Island swim because cancer had touched the lives of too many people he knew.

“Too many family members and friends have been lost to cancer and we wanted to do something that could help,” Coach O’Neill said of his involvement with Swim Across America.

His commitment to the cause became even more personal as he supported Providence College swimmers who themselves faced cancer, including former student-athletes Colleen Lowell ’97 and Kara McCurdy ’22. McCurdy continued swimming at Providence after battling cancer and later joined O’Neill and the Friars at the Swim Across America – Rhode Island event.

For Coach O’Neill, bringing college swimmers together at Roger Wheeler State Beach has always been about more than one morning of swimming. He has encouraged student-athletes to see how their sport can be used to make a difference for patients and families and has hoped their connection to Swim Across America will continue long after graduation.

“Our Rhode Island Swim is unique with so many college participants involved,” Coach O’Neill said in a previous Swimming World article about the event. “We hope that once the students graduate and relocate, they stay involved with Swim Across America no matter where their future takes them!”

That legacy will be on full display September 12 as generations of Providence College swimmers and members of the greater New England swimming community gather to celebrate O’Neill while continuing the cause that has been so important to him.

O’Neill first took over the Providence College swimming and diving program in 1984 and coached the Friars for 17 seasons before spending five years as head coach at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He returned to Providence in 2007 and has led the Friars for another 19 seasons. During his 36 seasons at Providence, nine of his student-athletes combined to win 20 BIG EAST individual championships. Coach O’Neill was inducted into the Rhode Island Aquatic Hall of Fame in 1994 and this year received its Elliss Mayers Humanitarian Award. Providence College has also established the Cindy and John O’Neill Swimming and Diving Endowed Fund in honor of his career and lasting impact on generations of student-athletes.

The connection between Coach O’Neill, collegiate swimming and Swim Across America reflects what has made the Rhode Island swim distinctive for nearly two decades: hundreds of athletes, coaches, families, cancer survivors, volunteers and supporters using the sport they love to help fund research that can change the lives of cancer 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 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 join as a swimmer, volunteer, or to participate virtually or donate to Swim Across America – Rhode Island, visit swimacrossamerica.org/rhodeisland.

19-Year-Old American Maya Merhige Successfully Swims the Strait of Gibraltar From Spain to Morocco, Completing Her Sixth Oceans Seven Crossing

Posted on August 11, 2026August 12, 2026 Posted in san franciscoTagged adventure, cancer, cancer awareness, cancer funding, cancer research, europe, fundraising, marathon swimming, media, News, oceans seven, spain, swim across america, swimming, travelLeave a comment

Berkeley marathon swimmer aims to be youngest swimmer in the world to complete Oceans Seven while raising funds for cancer research through Swim Across America

Marathon teen swimming sensation Maya Merhige of Berkeley, California, a rising sophomore at Georgetown University, successfully swam the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco on Tuesday, August 11, completing the sixth of the seven legendary channel crossings that make up the Oceans Seven. Maya completed the challenging swim in 3 hours, 49 minutes and 49 seconds, swimming from the coast of Tarifa, Spain to Eddalya, Morocco.

The Strait of Gibraltar separates Europe from Africa and connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea. At its narrowest, the crossing is approximately 14.4 kilometers, or about 9 miles, although tides and challenging currents typically require swimmers to cover a considerably longer route. The Strait of Gibraltar is a unique location where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea and is known as a significant area for dolphins, fin and pilot whales, orcas, and other sea life, as well as being a busy shipping channel. With strong currents, unpredictable winds, and strict permissions, the Strait of Gibraltar is also known as one of the most important swims of the seven continents. The swim is run by The Strait of Gibraltar Swimming Association, or ACNEG, which oversees and certifies crossings in cooperation with maritime authorities offering just two-or-three crossings a year.

With the Strait of Gibraltar marking Maya’s sixth successful Oceans Seven crossing in just five years, the goal of being the youngest person in the world to complete the Oceans Seven challenge is within reach. Only 52 swimmers in the world have completed the Oceans Seven.

The Oceans Seven is considered the aquatic equivalent of mountaineering’s Seven Summits and requires swimmers to complete seven of the world’s best-known ocean channel crossings. Of those swims, Maya at age 14 completed the Catalina Channel in 2021, breaking the record for the youngest woman to swim the 32.3 km (20-miles) Catalina Channel; in 2023 at 15, she swam the 42 km (26 miles) Kaiwi or Molokai Channel, also the youngest to ever complete that crossing; in 2024, at 16 she successfully swam the 33 km (20.5 miles) English Channel; in 2025, at 17, the 22.5 km (14 miles) New Zealand’s Cook Strait was completed – where Maya suffered hundreds of jellyfish stings; this past July, at 18, she swam the 34.5 km (21.4 miles) grueling North Channel from Ireland to Scotland; and now, August 11, 2026, weeks after turning 19, she successfully swam the 14.4 km (9 miles) Strait of Gibraltar. Her final challenge is the 19.5 km (12.1 miles) Tsugaru Strait in Japan which she plans to attempt in 2027.

Maya has also swum the Tahoe Triple Crown, the Manhattan 20 Bridges swim, the Angel Island swim and the Three Rocks swim in San Francisco Bay. Just a week after her 13th birthday, she became the youngest woman to swim the width of Lake Tahoe.

Maya also aims to break another record with her Oceans Seven swims – becoming the youngest person in the world to complete all seven swims.

As significant as this milestone is for Maya Merhige personally, her swims have always been about something bigger.

Maya swims to make waves to fight cancer through Swim Across America, the nonprofit she first joined at age 9 in San Francisco to honor a family friend and three-time cancer survivor, and in memory of a family friend who sadly passed away from brain cancer at age 12. Throughout the past decade, she has raised more than $190,000 for cancer research and has carried the names of friends and family members affected by cancer on her swim cap during her marathon swims. This summer alone, Maya has raised more than $20,000 toward her $45,000 goal, with fundraising continuing throughout her Oceans Seven journey.

“Every time I get in the water, I am carrying others with me who have had a far more challenging journey than I’m undertaking,” Maya noted. “I am swimming for those whose names are on my cap, for families who need hope and for the research that can lead to better treatments.”

With the Strait of Gibraltar swim, Maya was also swimming for Sydney Towle, the 26-year-old social media content creator who sadly passed away on August 5th after a nearly three-year battle with metastatic cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer. Sydney Towle was diagnosed at age 23 and became known to her more than 1.2 million TikTok followers for candidly sharing her experiences with cancer, treatment and life as a young adult facing the disease.

Before the Strait of Gibraltar swim, Merhige shared Sydney’s story on her own @chasing_channels account and thanked Sydney’s brother, Austin Towle, for allowing her to honor his sister with her swim. Sydney’s brother and mother announced her passing last week after she had spent the past several years publicly raising awareness of the realities of cancer in young adults.

For Maya Merhige, Sydney’s story reinforced the reason she continues taking on extraordinary challenges in the water: to raise funds and awareness for the cancer research that can lead to new therapies and more options for patients.

Unlike many of Maya’s previous solo channel swims, the Strait of Gibraltar is frequently organized with swimmers of comparable speed crossing together. Merhige was paired with two other swimmers: Carles of Spain and Dan of the United Kingdom, who met before the swim and were bound to help keep each other motivated throughout the crossing with a simple goal: start together, finish together — and have fun along the way. The day was perfect for the swim with sunny skies and crystal clear blue water.

The Strait of Gibraltar swim also became a family affair with Maya’s mother Liz Tung on the boat as part of Maya’s crew – for the first time since Maya’s grueling Molokai Channel crossing three years ago, which Liz stated was so hard and long that it had kept her on land for Maya’s other Oceans Seven swims. Her father Chris Merhige, who has been a constant on Maya’s crew boat, once again provided what the family describes as the “calm force” behind the operation. And for the first time during one of Maya’s major crossings, her younger sister Lucy was aboard the escort boat to experience the adventure firsthand. Also rounding out the crew was Kelly Gentry, Maya’s coach and safety coordinator.

Last month’s North Channel swim, which is known as the toughest of the Ocean Seven swims, had Maya swimming 34.5 kilometers, or 21.4 miles, from Ireland to Scotland in 12 hours, 19 minutes and 37 seconds. The swim came exactly one year after Maya underwent major surgery following a series of health challenges stemming from the discovery of a benign pancreatic tumor after a 2023 ski accident.

Those experiences have given Merhige an even deeper appreciation for what patients and families endure during serious health crises and strengthened her commitment to using her swimming to help others.

“Swimming for me is easy compared to what those with cancer have to go through,” noted Maya. “If I can help raise funds that help fund critical cancer research through Swim Across America, and help find more and better cures through swimming, I’m going to do just that.”

The funds raised by Maya Merhige for Swim Across America go directly to support pediatric cancer research and patient care at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco Survivors of Childhood Cancer Program.

Nationally, Swim Across America has raised more than $150 million for cancer research since its founding in 1987. The nonprofit organization has supported the research and clinical trials of several immunotherapy treatments that have led to the FDA approval to treat numerous types of cancer, and supports more than 60 cancer research projects annually at leading cancer institutions across the country.

To support Maya’s Oceans Seven journey and fundraising efforts for cancer research through Swim Across America, visit swimacrossamerica.org/maya.

Patient Ambassadors and Colorado Supporters Make Waves to Fight Cancer at 9th Annual Swim Across America – Denver Open Water Swim August 22

Posted on July 29, 2026August 3, 2026 Posted in UncategorizedTagged cancer, cancer research, colorado swim, denver events, denver swim, fundraising, health, media, News, olympians, swim across america, swimming, swimming denver, swimming in colorado, travelLeave a comment

Community Charity Swim at Chatfield Reservoir Benefits Pediatric Cancer Research at Children’s Hospital Colorado

Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer through charity swims across the U.S., will host the 9th annual Swim Across America – Denver Open Water Swim on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Chatfield Reservoir at Chatfield State Park, 9700 S. Wadsworth Blvd., in Littleton. Swimmers of all ages and skill levels can choose a half-mile, 1-mile or 2-mile course, while younger participants can join the Kids’ Balloon Splash. The event also includes a High School Cup, and supporters can volunteer on land or in the water, donate to an individual or team, or participate virtually through SAA My Way. The morning begins at 6:30 a.m. with kayak and paddleboard volunteer arrival and swimmer registration from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. To register, volunteer or donate, visit swimacrossamerica.org/denver.

Since the Denver chapter launched in 2018, its open water and community pool swims have raised more than $1.2 million for locally directed pediatric cancer research projects at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Hospital Colorado. The center is one of the nation’s largest pediatric cancer programs and provides children, adolescents and young adults access to hundreds of clinical trials and research studies advancing treatments for leukemia, brain tumors and other cancers and blood disorders.

“Each year, we have so many swimmers and volunteers who have a personal connection to making waves to fight cancer,” said Nicole Vanderpoel, co-event director of Swim Across America – Denver. “This includes some of our patient ambassadors, who are the heart of Swim Across America – Denver because they show exactly why early research, clinical trials and compassionate care matter. Teagan and Garrett, two of our long-term patient ambassadors, have faced extraordinary challenges with courage and optimism. When our community swims, volunteers and raises money, we are investing in more hopeful futures for children and families facing cancer.”

Teagan Gorney, one of this year’s patient ambassadors, was midway through kindergarten when she began struggling to gain weight, sleeping through dinner and feeling constantly tired. She continued attending school with her usual bubbly personality, but a school nurse noticed her pale face and urged her parents to seek medical care. After repeated urgent care visits produced no answers, Teagan was taken to an emergency room near her home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and immediately referred to Children’s Hospital Colorado. There, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and began treatment four days later.

At diagnosis, Teagan’s liver and spleen were so enlarged that she had difficulty walking and getting in and out of bed. After six weeks of treatment and physical therapy, she was in remission, and she returned to school within three months. Teagan completed two and a half years of chemotherapy in April 2017 and is now cancer-free. Today, she is a cheerful, outgoing high school sophomore and a proud member of her local swim team, where backstroke is her favorite event. She also participates in 4-H archery and enjoys playing with her family’s puppy. She continues follow-up visits with Amanda Winters, M.D., the physician who helped guide her family from the moment they arrived at Children’s Colorado. Teagan shares her story to raise awareness and help other young patients know they are not alone.

Returning patient ambassador Garrett Rymer was diagnosed with a rare spinal cord cancer on December 23, 2022, at age 15. Months of unexplained weakness in his right arm after a minor bicycle accident led to an MRI at Children’s Hospital Colorado, where doctors discovered the tumor. During a nearly nine-hour surgery in January 2023, surgeons removed about half of the tumor before signs of neurological damage forced them to stop. When Garrett awoke in intensive care, he temporarily could not see or move his legs and had no feeling from the waist down.

By the next morning, Garrett’s sight had returned. He spent three weeks in rehabilitation learning to walk again and recovering his strength, and he was able to go climbing the day he was discharged. Garrett later enrolled in a clinical trial using an oral chemotherapy treatment rather than weekly infusions. He has now been off chemotherapy for more than a year, and the remaining tumor has stayed stable. Although he continues working to restore function in his right arm, Garrett says he has an excellent prognosis and a bright future. “Coming from someone who wouldn’t be alive today without the generous donations put toward cancer research, your involvement with SAA might just save a life,” Rymer said.

Swim Across America – Denver committee member Holden Bank will again volunteer and swim in memory of dear friends Wayne Matejik and Rob Maurer, who sadly passed away from leukemia, as well as Jeff Conklin, a close friend from his Duke swimming days who recently succumbed to pancreatic cancer. Bank also swims in support of the event’s patient ambassadors and for the children and grandchildren whose futures may be changed by the research funded today.

“Every swimmer and volunteer arrives at Chatfield Reservoir with a reason to be there,” Nicole Vanderpoel noted. “Some are celebrating survivorship, some are still in treatment and others are honoring friends and family members they miss every day. When those stories come together, they create a powerful community that is truly making waves to fight cancer.”

Swimmers may participate individually or form a team, and water volunteers are needed to support the course by kayak or paddle board. Those who are not able to attend can donate to a participant or team or create a personal SAA My Way challenge on their own timeline. All funds raised by Swim Across America – Denver support pediatric cancer research at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

For those interested in swimming, volunteering or donating to the ninth annual Swim Across America – Denver Open Water Swim on August 22, please visit swimacrossamerica.org/denver.

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.

Hundreds to Dive in to Lake Michigan on August 8th to Make Waves to Fight Cancer at 33rd Annual Swim Across America – Chicago Open Water Swim

Posted on July 29, 2026 Posted in UncategorizedTagged cancer, cancer research, chicago, chicago event, chicago fundraising, chicago swimming, fundraising, health, life, media, News, swim across america, swimming, television, wellnessLeave a comment

Swim Raises Funds for Cancer Research for the Swim Across America Lab at Rush Cancer Center (Rush)

Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer through charity swims across the U.S., will host its annual Swim Across America – Chicago Open Water Swim on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at Ohio Street Beach, 600 N. Lake Shore Drive, in Chicago. The community swim welcomes swimmers of all ages and skill levels, from first-time open water swimmers to veteran athletes and master swimmers, with swim options including a half-mile, 1-mile and 2-mile swim, as well as the Miracle Mile competitive race option. For those unable to participate in person, a virtual SAA My Way option is also available. Proceeds support cancer research and leading-edge patient care at Rush. To register to swim, volunteer or support the swim with a tax-deductible donation, visit swimacrossamerica.org/chicago.

Established in 1994, Swim Across America – Chicago partnered with Rush in 2012 and has since donated more than $3 million to support cancer research and clinical trials. Funds raised through the swim support early-stage research and clinical trials for a variety of cancer types at the Swim Across America Lab at Rush.

“Swim Across America – Chicago is an incredibly meaningful event for our community as it brings together swimmers, volunteers, cancer survivors, families, researchers and supporters who all share one mission: making waves to fight cancer,” said Alyse Mauro Mason, co-event director of Swim Across America – Chicago. “Since partnering with Rush in 2012, this swim has raised more than $3 million to support critical cancer research and clinical trials. Every swimmer, every volunteer and every donor is helping fund research that can lead to better treatments, better outcomes and more hope for patients and families.”

Each year, Swim Across America – Chicago hosts more than 280 swimmers and volunteers, spectators and supporters, as well as Olympians from near and far, for the annual charity swim in beautiful Lake Michigan, in downtown Chicago.

This year’s swim will include a special tribute to longtime Swim Across America – Chicago swimmer and supporter Stephen “Steve” Schlegel, who sadly passed away in February after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Schlegel was a pivotal part of the Chicago swim community and started Team Anne, Mike and Friends after losing his daughter Anne, to non-Hodgkin lymphoma when she was just 31. His family has continued to face devastating losses from cancer; Schlegel’s son-in-law John, husband of his daughter Jeanne Skaggs, also passed away from pancreatic cancer earlier this year.

“Steve Schlegel gave so much of himself to Swim Across America – Chicago, and his legacy will always be part of this swim,” noted Alyse Mauro Mason. “He turned unimaginable loss into action, creating a long-time team and helping build a community committed to funding cancer research. This year, as we honor Steve, we also honor Anne, John and every family that has been touched by cancer. His impact will continue to inspire us every time we gather at Ohio Street Beach.”

The impact of Swim Across America – Chicago can be seen in the research it helps support. After Swim Across America’s support, Rush was honored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with the Director’s Transformative Research Award, one of the NIH’s most prestigious and exclusive awards. The award provides funding for innovative pancreatic cancer research and is given to exceptionally creative scientists proposing high-risk, high-impact research. Rush credits this recognition with being funded first by Swim Across America – Chicago, which provided a foundation for which to build on.

“This is exactly why Swim Across America matters,” Katie Marchetti noted, who is a co-event director with Mauro Mason. “The funds raised through this swim help provide support for promising research, and that support can lead to larger grants, new discoveries and progress for cancer patients. It is incredibly meaningful to know that our swimmers and supporters are helping move cancer research forward.”

For swimmer Tom Boucher, this year’s Swim Across America – Chicago will have a very different meaning. In past years, Boucher participated in the event to honor those who had been touched by cancer and had made a difference in his life. This year, he will swim as a cancer survivor himself.

In November 2025, Tom was diagnosed with stage 2 lung cancer. In January 2026, he had surgery at Rush to remove the cancer. Four weeks later, he swam his first lap. He also needed four rounds of chemotherapy and is now considered to be in remission and swimming full-time again.

Boucher said the team at Rush changed his life. “As I approach the start line of the swim on August 8 this year, I’m asking my friends and family to support me in this cause to help raise money for the Rush cancer center,” Tom Boucher said. “Rush changed my life. The funds raised will go to their center and will support critical cancer research.”

For many Swim Across America – Chicago participants, the event is about honoring loved ones, supporting cancer patients and survivors, and helping fund the research and clinical trials that can lead to new treatment options.

“Tom’s story is a powerful reminder of why this swim matters,” Alyse Mauro Mason commented. “Swim Across America – Chicago is not just a swim. It is a community taking action for cancer patients, survivors and families, and helping support the researchers and clinicians working every day to change the future of cancer care.”

For those interested in swimming, volunteering or donating to the Swim Across America – Chicago Open Water Swim on August 8, please visit swimacrossamerica.org/chicago.

Swimmers to Make Waves to Fight Cancer August 15 at 31st Annual Swim Across America – Boston Open Water Swim

Posted on July 29, 2026 Posted in boston, Corporate Partners, event directors, Events, Labs, News, Top FundraisersTagged cancer, cancer research, health, life, media, News, olympians, swim across america, swimming, wellnessLeave a comment

Community Charity Swim at Castle Island Supports Research and Patient Programs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute

Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer through charity swims across the U.S., will host the 31st annual Swim Across America – Boston Open Water Swim on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at Castle Island at Pleasure Bay, 2080 William J. Day Blvd., in South Boston. The community swim welcomes swimmers of all ages and skill levels, with a Kids’ Splash for children younger than 8 and half-mile, 1-mile and 2-mile open water options. For those unable to participate in person, the virtual SAA My Way option allows participants to choose their own activity and timeline. Proceeds support cancer research, clinical trials and patient programs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute. To register to swim, volunteer or support the event with a tax-deductible donation, visit swimacrossamerica.org/boston.

Founded in 1996, Swim Across America – Boston has raised more than $9 million for cancer research. Funds raised by the Boston community help support innovative survivorship research at Dana-Farber’s Perini Family Survivors’ Center and early-stage research and clinical trials at Mass General Brigham, including work led by Bryan Choi, M.D., Ph.D., on tandem CAR T-cell therapy for aggressive brain tumors. Early funding from Swim Across America – Boston and Swim Across America – Nantucket helped move Choi’s research into a Phase 1 human trial, where initial results showed dramatic and rapid tumor regression.

*Team Festivus at the 2025 Boston Open Water Swim, below the arch.*

For longtime Swim Across America participants Jessica Stokes and her husband Rick Osterberg, the impact of early research funding is personal. Stokes, a member of Team Festivus, has raised more than $14,000 for this year’s swim. Osterberg, a longtime volunteer who now serves as the Boston event’s emcee, was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in January 2018. After chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, he went into remission, but a routine scan in June 2020 found a new tumor. After four more grueling rounds of chemotherapy, where Rick was laid up, his treatment team recommended Keytruda, an immunotherapy treatment – a treatment that was funded by a Swim Across America grant that played a significant role in getting the treatment FDA approved. The medication continues to work successfully, with virtually no side effects.

“My life today on this immunotherapy treatment is vastly different from when I was undergoing chemotherapy,” noted Rick Osterberg. “It’s night and day the difference I feel. For that, I’m incredibly grateful to Swim Across America and all of the incredible research the swims fund.”

“Rick and I were committed to Swim Across America before he was diagnosed,” Jessica Stokes said. “The immunotherapy treatment continues to be successful, with virtually no side effects for Rick and it just re-emphasizes even more why we make waves to fight cancer.”

Siblings Morgen and Colton Hall, who are fundraising together with Team WaveMakers, currently lead the individual fundraising standings with nearly $25,000 raised. Team WaveMakers is captained by Olympic swimmer Janel Jorgensen McArdle, also a Boston resident. The Halls’ mother was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer nearly three years ago and continues to receive care at Dana-Farber.

“This summer, we’ll be swimming in honor of our mom and all those impacted by cancer, with every stroke reflecting our gratitude for the research that gives families like ours hope,” Morgen and Colton Hall said. “Watching her courage has taught us what true strength and hope look like.”

Team Kitty’s Kats, led by longtime participant Kitty Tetreault, is currently the top fundraising team, and Tetreault is the No. 2 individual fundraiser. Kitty has participated in Swim Across America – Boston for more than 30 years, recruiting swimmers, volunteers, family members and friends to support cancer research in the Boston community, and as one of the event’s directors.

“Everyone who participates with Swim Across America is so inspiring — from the patients undergoing cancer treatments, to the incredible doctors and nurses who work tirelessly for a cure, to my fellow athletes, both young and old, who find friendship and fulfillment through the sport of swimming,” Kitty said. “Even though we’re small fish in a big pond, we all can make a difference together.”

Pam Ryan, chair of the Swim Across America board and captain of Team Goldman and Friends, is the third-leading individual fundraiser, with more than $18,000 raised. Ryan swims each year in honor of friends and family members who have battled or are battling cancer and in memory of loved ones, including two aunts and longtime swimming friends. She also visits the cancer centers and researchers supported by Swim Across America to see how early grants are advancing clinical trials.

“I joined the Swim Across America community so that, together, we can change the future for these dear friends and many more,” Pam Ryan commented. “The money you give will go towards cancer research, prevention and treatment and will make an impact in the fight to find a cure.”

The Boston community also expanded its reach earlier this year with the inaugural Swim Across America – Boston College Pool Swim, held this past March. Boston College students Aiden Bucaria and Chloe Otten helped organize the event with support from five-time Olympian and BC Swim and Dive head coach Dara Torres, assistant coaches Bruno Darzi and Chris Morgan, and Boston College alumnus and Swim Across America board member Jack Salerno. Students, alumni, faculty members and local swimmers participated in lap swimming, relays and a spirited inner-tube challenge to support the same Boston-area beneficiaries.

Whether participating at Pleasure Bay, volunteering on land or in the water, donating to a swimmer or team, or choosing a virtual personal SAA My Way challenge, Swim Across America – Boston offers a way for community members of all ages to help fund better treatments and more hope for patients and families.

For those interested in swimming, volunteering or donating to the 31st annual Swim Across America – Boston Open Water Swim on Aug. 15, please visit swimacrossamerica.org/boston.

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – DENVER IN THE NEWS

Posted on July 14, 2026August 13, 2026 Posted in #MakingWavesToFightCancer, #SwimAcrossAmerica, beneficiaries, denver, event directors, Junior Advisory Board, News, Pool Swims, UncategorizedTagged cancer, cancer research, media, News, swim across america, televisionLeave a comment

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.

KUSA-TV (9News) “Colorado & Co.”

Funding Cancer Research with Swim Across America

Raise Money for Childhood Cancer Research at the Denver Open Water Swim

The Jeffco Transcript

9th annual Swim Across America event hits Denver

The Westminster Window

9th annual Swim Across America event hits Denver Aug. 22

Swim Across America – Nantucket Makes Waves to Fight Cancer on July 25 at Jetties Beach

Posted on July 6, 2026July 6, 2026 Posted in #DefeatCancer, #MakingWavesToFightCancer, #SwimAcrossAmerica, beneficiaries, nantucket, News, Top Fundraisers, UncategorizedTagged cancer, cancer research, fundraising, health, health-care, life, media, News, swim across america, swimming, wellnessLeave a comment

Annual Open Water Swim Aims to Raise $1 Million for Cancer Care on Nantucket and Research at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute

Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer through charity swims across the U.S., will host its annual Swim Across America – Nantucket Open Water Swim on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Jetties Beach on Nantucket. The community charity swim welcomes swimmers of all ages and skill levels, from first-time open water swimmers to veteran athletes and master swimmers, with swim options including a fun Kids’ Splash, or a quarter-mile, half-mile, 1-mile, 2×2-mile relay and 4-mile swim courses. For those unable to participate in person, a virtual SAA My Way option is also available. Proceeds benefit Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket and Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute. To register as a swimmer, volunteer, or to support the swim with a tax-deductible donation, visit swimacrossamerica.org/nantucket.

“Swim Across America – Nantucket is a powerful example of what happens when a community comes together with purpose,” said Jill Roethke, co-event director of Swim Across America – Nantucket. “Every swimmer, volunteer, donor and supporter is helping ensure that cancer patients on Nantucket have access to outstanding care close to home, while also supporting groundbreaking cancer research.”

Each year, Swim Across America – Nantucket hosts more than 400 swimmers and volunteers, spectators and supporters, as well as Olympians from near and far, for the annual charity swim. The event raises money for cancer treatment and patient care on Nantucket Island, as well as research at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute.

Since 2013, Swim Across America – Nantucket has raised more than $6.5 million for its beneficiaries. Last year’s swim raised a record $1 million, and this year’s goal is to match that milestone again.

For Jeff Schneider, a long-time supporter of Swim Across America-Nantucket and the “Why I Swim” guest speaker in 2024, the mission is deeply personal. Schneider and his wife first supported the Nantucket swim as volunteers and fundraisers while their daughter swam in the event. Then, at age 56, Schneider was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer.

“A hell of a thing to be told you have three to five years to live,” Jeff Schneider noted. “A two-year battle ensued. Surgery, radiation and hormone therapy at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has me three years along and in remission. Throwing the kitchen sink at it seems to have done the trick for now, and I enjoy every day with thanks for those that made it happen.”

“This is why I am so committed to doing whatever I can to keep the good work going, of which Swim Across America is so vital to supporting,” Schneider said. “My wife, children and six grandchildren, along with my friends, are grateful for the part Swim Across America played in keeping me around much longer than three to five years.”

Jeff also noted that the Swim Across America community gave him something essential during his cancer journey: hope.

“Throughout my battle with stage 4 prostate cancer I had hope,” Jeff said. “Hope got me through the worst of times. Hope helped me bear the surgery, radiation and the nasty hormone therapy drug Zytiga I had to take for two years. The swimmers that swim for me and my fellow cancer patients and survivors, along with the whole Swim Across America organization, gave me then – and always will give me hope.”

Through its support of Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Swim Across America – Nantucket ensures that island cancer patients don’t face the burden of traveling to the mainland for care. Thanks to a collaboration with Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, patients have access to academic-level oncology right in their own community — with visiting cancer specialists, and a board-certified advanced practice oncology registered nurse on-site to support patient care. Treatments are at the Swim Across America Infusion Center, where patients receive cancer-directed therapies and supportive care in their own private rooms, which are a warm, unhurried setting where the very best academic medicine meets the comfort of home.

Swim Across America – Nantucket also supports Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket, which provides direct care and services to adult patients and families coping with cancer, and continues to expand its holistic approach through wellness activities and innovative therapies. Care is provided by a team that includes a nurse practitioner, part-time RN-nurse specialist, palliative care counselor, program assistant, chaplain, and volunteers. Services are provided in any setting and are offered free of charge through donations and grants. PASCON also offers a cancer conducts cancer support group which is open to the public and provides a welcoming space for patients and loved ones at any stage of the cancer journey twice a month and PASCON works directly with the Nantucket Cottage Hospital oncology staff to help meet patients’ needs, highlighting the importance of a collaborative, patient-centered approach.

At Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, proceeds from Swim Across America – Nantucket support the research of Bryan Choi, MD, PhD, who specializes in surgical care for patients with benign and malignant brain tumors. Choi also leads a research laboratory focused on developing the next generation of cell therapies and clinical trials in neuro-oncology.

“The impact of this swim is felt in many ways,” said Jim Pignato, co-event director of Swim Across America – Nantucket. “It helps patients receive care here on the island, supports families during incredibly difficult moments and fuels research that can lead to better treatments for cancer patients everywhere. Jeff’s story is a powerful reminder that research matters, and that the money raised by Swim Across America truly can change lives.”

For Jeff Schneider, the event is a way to say thank you to the swimmers, volunteers and supporters who raise money for cancer research and care.

“The Swim Across America community is such a blessing to those of us who have battled cancer,” Jeff noted. “The support we feel is more than anyone who has not been the recipient of that special kind of love would know. From the deepest part of my soul, I can only say thank you and what can I do to help.”

For those interested in swimming, volunteering or donating to the Swim Across America – Nantucket Open Water Swim on July 25, please visit swimacrossamerica.org/nantucket.