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.
The mission has also become deeply personal for one of the event’s top sponsors, Chad Hemmert, who has supported Swim Across America – Denver every year since the event began. Hemmert recently underwent a stem cell transplant for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and remains in treatment. His daughter, Avery Hemmert, serves on the Swim Across America – Denver Junior Advisory Board, helping engage the next generation of swimmers, volunteers and fundraisers in the fight against pediatric cancer.
“Chad has stood behind this swim year after year, and now his family is experiencing firsthand the uncertainty and hope that come with a leukemia diagnosis,” said Jessica Reinhardt Vitcenda, co-event director of Swim Across America – Denver. “His continued commitment, together with Avery’s leadership on our Junior Advisory Board, reflects the extraordinary spirit of this community. Cancer may touch any family, but no family should have to face it without hope, research and support.”
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.
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 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.
Swim Across America 