SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – MOTOR CITY MILE IN THE NEWS

Posted on November 30, 2022December 6, 2022 Posted in #DefeatCancer, Events, Family Tree, Fundraising, Labs, News, olympians, UncategorizedTagged cancer, media, News, olympians, swim across america, televisionLeave a comment

Here are some recent stories that display the impact all the members of the Swim Across America family have had in the Tampa community benefiting Rogel Cancer Center. If you would like to register, volunteer or donate, please visit swimacrossamerica.org/detroit.

THE PATCH

Swim Across America Motor City Mile Set to Take Place on July 8th

THE OAKLAND PRESS

Cancer survivor Chad Steed of Huntington Woods helping fund cancer research at Motor City Mile open-water swim

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DETROIT FREE PRESS

Swimmers gather at Belle Isle to raise funds for fight against cancer

DETROIT FREE PRESS

Swim for America raises money for cancer at Belle Isle

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – CHARLESTON-KIAWAH IN THE NEWS

Here are some recent stories that display the impact all the members of the Swim Across America family have had in the Charleston-Kiawah community benefiting MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. If you would like to register, volunteer or donate, please visit swimacrossamerica.org/kiawah.

SWIMSWAM

A STORY OF FRIENDSHIP AND A CAUSE: SWIM ACROSS AMERICA CHARLESTON-KIAWAH

FOX 24 NEWS NOW

Swim Across America Making Waves to Fight Cancer

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SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – NASHVILLE IN THE NEWS

Posted on November 30, 2022 Posted in #DefeatCancer, Events, Family Tree, Fundraising, Labs, News, olympians, UncategorizedTagged cancer, media, News, olympians, swim across america, televisionLeave a comment

Here are some recent stories that display the impact all the members of the Swim Across America family have had in the Nashville community benefiting Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. If you would like to register, volunteer or donate, please visit swimacrossamerica.org/nashville.

THE PATCH

Inaugural Swim Across America Nashville Event Scheduled for April 23

THE SPORTS CREDENTIAL

Olympian Missy Franklin Brings Swim Across America to Nashville

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WKRN-TV (ABC, 2)

Swim Across America holds inaugural Nashville event

NASHVILLE POST

Olympic gold medalist helps bring Swim Across America to Nashville

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SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – HOUSTON IN THE NEWS

Here are some recent stories that display the impact all the members of the Swim Across America family have had in the Houston community benefiting MD Anderson Cancer Center. If you would like to register, volunteer or donate, please visit swimacrossamerica.org/houston.

KHOU 11

Houston man to ‘Swim Across America’ to raise money for cancer research

MY NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Robert McLaren of Houston plans to Swim Across America

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KPRC-TV (NBC) Click2Houston “Houston Life”

60-Year-Old Robert McLaren Swims Across America for Cancer Research

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – TAMPA IN THE NEWS

Posted on November 21, 2022November 21, 2022 Posted in #DefeatCancer, Events, Family Tree, Fundraising, Labs, News, olympians, UncategorizedTagged cancer, media, News, olympians, swim across america, televisionLeave a comment

Here are some recent stories that display the impact all the members of the Swim Across America family have had in the Tampa community benefiting Johns Hopkins All Chidren’s Hospital. If you would like to register, volunteer or donate, please visit swimacrossamerica.org/tampa.

TAMPA FREE PRESS

11-Year-Old Tampa Boy Making “Waves” To Fight Cancer

CBS 10

Young Tampa swimmer honors mother in cancer research fundraising event

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NBC 8

Tampa 11-year-old attempting 2-mile open-water swim in honor of mom

FOX 13 “What’s Right with Tampa Bay”

Teen swimmer raises thousands for cancer research

Spectrum Bay News

11-year old swims for mom to fight cancer

Tampa Bay Times

With mom in mind, Wesley Chapel youth swimmer raises money for cancer research

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Making Waves with Hope: “Uncertainty and Adversity” with Craig Beardsley and Rowdy Gaines

Posted on April 30, 2020April 30, 2020 Posted in #MakingWavesToFightCancer, Making Waves With Hope, News, UncategorizedTagged 1980 Olympics, 2020 Olympics, boycott, coronavirus, craig beardsley, hope, News, olympians, rowdy gaines, swim across americaLeave a comment

Making Waves with Hope is a series of inspiring messages by leaders in the Swim Across America community. Olympians Rowdy Gaines and Craig Beardsley had earned their spots on the 1980 USA Olympic Team when uncertainty struck. The US boycotted the 1980 Olympics and in an instant, the dreams of both—and hundreds of others—were washed away. Fast forward three decades to the postponement of the 2020 Olympics. Rowdy and Craig offer their wisdom to dealing with uncertain moments. Rowdy and Craig were guests on “Pitch The Rhino” podcast. Give it a listen here: bit.ly/PTRPodcastCR.

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Craig Beardsley on Recovering From What You Can’t Control:

“One of the things that I learned from what happened in 1980, and this is a life lesson for me, was that I did everything I was supposed to do getting ready for ‘80, and then things changed. And I learned that sometimes you can do everything you’re supposed to do but sometimes things are just out of your control. That happens in life. And when that happens you have to just learn how to recover from that and move forward.”

Rowdy Gaines on Current Athletes Finding Motivation Despite Postponements:

“The most important thing is our health and wellbeing. So, these decisions that came down were the right decisions, it doesn’t make it any easier. It’s just like in 1980, at the time I felt like, ‘Okay I’m going to support my country’ and it felt like the boycott was the best way to answer the Russians that had invaded Afghanistan, but I didn’t like it. It still was devastating. It still hurt me. And I think that it’s okay to be vulnerable right now. I think it’s okay for these athletes to feel anger, the emotions of going through denial first, and then anger, and then sadness and depression, and then acceptance. And sooner or later you’re going to have that acceptance and be able to move on. And it will make you stronger, it will, I guarantee you at the very best it will make them stronger, because in the end, after acceptance for me, was motivation.”

Craig Beardsley on Being Your Best and Obstacles:

“When they announced the boycott, I wasn’t the world record holder at the time, I still had something to prove to myself more than anybody else that I could be the best. So I didn’t allow that to derail me as much as maybe some of the other people. I just felt compelled that I still had to prove something, to everybody and myself that I could be the best, and that I trained for that, and I wasn’t going to let anything get in my way of being the best at this point.”

Craig Beardsley’s Advice on Training and Focus:

“Something that I learned directly from experience is if you’re training and all you’re doing is training, try to have something else in your life that you can focus on. And not just fun stuff, but something that you actually have to focus on that you can remove yourself from the sport because it will help you and it will give you room to breathe, and you’ll look at the sport with fresh eyes instead of getting burned out by it.”

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BIOS

Craig Beardsley was heavily favored to win the 200m butterfly as a member of the 1980 Olympic Team, only to be forced from competition when politics intervened, and the US boycotted Moscow’s Summer Games. Between 1980 and 1983, Craig held both the World and the American Records in the 200m butterfly, and he won Gold at the Pan American Games in both 1979 and 1983. A nine-time US National Champion, Craig captured another Gold in the same event at the NCAA Championships while an All-American at the University of Florida. Beardsley is currently the Swim Across America Director of Partnerships.

“Rowdy” Gaines held 11 World Records during a four-year span in the 1980s. At the age of 25, Gaines won three Gold Medals in the 1984 Games in L.A., including the 100m free in which he set a new Olympic Record, .45 seconds shy of his own World Record. Rowdy also swam on the Gold-Medal winning 400m free and 400m medley relays, both which set World Records. In 1984, he was named World Swimmer of the Year. During his education at Auburn, Rowdy was a five-time NCAA All-American and honored as the Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year. In 1996, Gaines became NBC’s Olympic Games Swimming Commentator, filling that role in all Olympics and major competitions since. Gaines has also been an Olympic Ambassador from Swim Across America since our organization’s inaugural swim in 1987.

The Best of Swim Across America Olympians (2019)

Posted on October 30, 2019 Posted in #DefeatCancer, olympians, UncategorizedTagged amanda weir, dana vollmer, elizabeth beisel, katie hoff, kristy kowal, mark gangloff, missy franklin, olympians, ryan held, swim across americaLeave a comment

We appreciate the support of all the Olympians and special guests who have donated their time to support the SAA cause in 2019. These Olympians have attended our swims and special events generating awareness and raising donations for our beneficiaries. Thanks for all you do for SAA!

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – HOUSTON

Camille Adams, Ricky Berens

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SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – Fairfield County

Cristina Teuscher and Craig Beardsley

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SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – BOSTON

Eric Wunderlich, Alex Meyer and Janel Jorgensen McArdle

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SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – DETROIT

Peter Vanderkaay and Chris Thompson

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SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – CHARLESTON-KIAWAH

Hannah Aspden, Steve Gregg and Jenny Thompson

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – CHICAGO

Tom Beeri, Dave Sims, Kat Simonovic and Sebastian Rousseau

SAA – LONG ISLAND SOUND

Cristina Teuscher and Katie Meili

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SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – ST. LOUIS

Ryan Berube, Ryan Held and Mallory Comerford

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – DENVER

George DiCarlo, Haley Anderson, Kara Lynn Joyce, Lindsey Mintenko, Missy Franklin, Scott Usher, Susan von der Lippe

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – NANTUCKET

Craig Beardsley

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SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – RHODE ISLAND

Elizabeth Beisel

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SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – SEATTLE

Nathan Adrian, Mary Wayte Bradburne, Emily Silver

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – BALTIMORE

Theresa Andrews, McClain Hermes, Brenda Borgh Bartlett

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – SAN FRANCISCO

Heather Petri, Dana Kirk, Ericka Lorenz, Kristy Kowal, Susan Heon-Preston, Staciana Stitts Winfield, Mike Bruner, John Moffet, Nicolle Payne, Rada Owen, Ashley Whitney and Christine Magnuson

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – CHARLOTTE

Lauren Perdue, Hannah Aspden, Karlee Bispo, Madison Kennedy

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SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – ATLANTA

Missy Franklin, McClain Hermes, Steve Lundquist, Maritza Correia McClendon, Megan Neyer, Amanda Weir, Peter Wright, Nei-Kuan Chia, Eric Wunderlich, Neil Versfeld, Andrew Gammell, Camille Adams, Paige Northcutt

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – DALLAS

Ryan Berube, Andrea Hayes Dickson and Jim Montgomery

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – SMAC OUT CANCER POOL SWIM

Susan Heon-Preston, Kristy Kowal and Mike Bruner

MICHAEL PHELPS & SWIM ACROSS AMERICA CHARITY SWIM

Michael Phelps, Allison Schmidt, Craig Beardsley, Bob Bowman

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA FAMILY TREE (OCTOBER 2019)

Posted on October 30, 2019October 30, 2019 Posted in #DefeatCancer, Events, Family Tree, Fundraising, Labs, News, olympians, UncategorizedTagged cancer, media, News, olympians, swim across america, televisionLeave a comment

SAA Family Tree is a monthly focus on stories that display the impact all the members of the Swim Across America family have both locally and nationally. If you have a story or link you’d like to share, please send here.