Berger-Bordeau Swims in Honor of her Father and Aunt Lost to Cancer

Florence Berger-Bordeau of New Rochelle, New York, has been swimming her entire life. An avid athlete, who as a child enjoyed swimming, tennis, skiing and track, Florence lost part of her right leg below the knee to a traumatic accident at age 14 while living in France. After the accident Florence thought she would never be able to swim or run again. Enduring some challenging years after the accident, she tried swimming again and she was so glad she was wrong! Swimming as an amputee felt amazing and therapeutic. It also helped Florence regain her confidence in herself.

Fast forward to today and Florence, for her seventh year, will join more than 800 swimmers, volunteers and supporters on Saturday, July 26, at the 33rd annual Swim Across America – Long Island Sound open water swim, held in Larchmont, New York. Florence will be swimming the 2K course to make waves to fight cancer in honor of her father Jean-Paul Bordeau, and aunt Marie-Jeanne Lagadec, both of whom she lost to cancer – her Dad from sarcoma at just 34 years old when Florence was only three, and her aunt four years ago from breast cancer.

“I unfortunately only have vague memories of my father. It was so hard growing up without him,” noted Florence. “I was only three years old when he passed away. He was so brave and cared so much for me and my mom. My aunt passed away just four years ago from breast cancer. She meant a lot to me and was an incredible person. When I swim with Swim Across America, I think about my dad and my aunt and how much I miss them.”

The annual Swim Across America – Long Island Sound open water swim, which starts at the Larchmont Yacht Club and finishes at the Larchmont Shore Club, is Swim Across America’s largest open water event nationwide. The event features 2K, 5K and 10K swim distances, as well as a same-day ½-mile pool swim – and seven other pool swims throughout the summer. The swim has raised nearly $30 million since its inception in 1992 for its local beneficiaries Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia University Cancer Center and the Cancer Support Team.

“Adaptive sports have helped me tremendously recover from my accident,” said Florence. “Besides swimming, I love biking, skiing, surfing and tennis. I believe in never giving up when facing adversity. I’m very lucky to have the best mom, a wonderful family and amazing friends who really support me, including my company Sompo International who has matched the funds I’ve raised and been so supportive. I also think we should be grateful every day when we are healthy, as it is so important! I get very emotional before each swim when I hear about cancer survivors and the cancer research the swim is supporting. It is so inspiring. I also feel a deep sense of community. I could not do these swims without my swim angel Kathy Salvo and my swim coach and friend Delphine Golebiowski. I’m grateful for their support and their journey with me as we try to raise as much for cancer research through swimming as we can.”

Florence started swimming with Swim Across America – Long Island Sound in 2019. Since then, she has completed eight Swim Across America events, six previous Long Island Sound swims and two of the Fairfield County swims. Last year she also accomplished a dream of hers – participating in a triathlon! 

“My dream came true when I participated in the Sleepy Hollow Triathlon and the San Diego Challenged Athletes Foundation Triathlon. When I crossed the finish line of the San Diego CAF Triathlon, I was crying as I thought that this day would never come. I knew my dad was watching me from heaven. Swim Across America helped me get ready for these triathlons – all while raising money for cancer research.”

To date, Florence has raised more than $5000 for cancer research through Swim Across America. 

Now in its 33^rd year, Swim Across America – Long Island Sound has been a major funder of crucial cancer research that has brought forward successful new treatments, including the FDA approved immunotherapy treatments of Keytruda, Opdivo, Tecentriq and Yervoy. What’s more is the money raised locally stays local, providing cancer care and research grants to The Cancer Support Team, a Westchester-based home care program offering free services to patients and their families; to New York Presbyterian Children’s Hospital Pediatric Oncology Lab; to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Research Laboratories of Dr. Diaz and Dr. Kung Kids Department of Pediatrics; and to Weill Cornell Medicine Research Laboratory of Dr. Wolchok and Dr. Merghoub.

Nationally, Swim Across America has generated more than $100 million for cancer research since its founding 1987, supporting more than 60 research projects each year To support Florence Berger-Bordeau or any of the other hundreds of swimmers at this year’s July 26th Swim Across America – Long Island Sound swim, visit swimacrossamerica.org/longislandsound to make a donation or to sign up to swim or volunteer.