Bryan’s Big Swims: Donation Page

A MESSAGE FROM BRYAN: My goal is to raise $50,000 In 2023 to start this scholarship fund.

I know that swimming BIG swims and fundraising are both formidable challenges, but, to me, both are worth it. With each challenging swim, I want to raise water safety awareness and children’s ability for aquatic aptitude. Drowning is the number one cause of death in children age 1-4 in the US, and the number 2 cause of death (second to car accidents) for children 5-15. Our goal is to remove any barriers that prevent “waterproofing” kids in our community and to eliminate drowning from the top 10 causes of childhood death in our region.

I will be swimming the 20 Bridges Swim in New York City on Thursday, September 28. The 20 Bridges Swim, together with the English Channel, and Catalina Channel, are referred to as the Triple Crown of open water swimming.

My ultimate goal is to complete the Triple Crown and swim all 5 Great Lakes over the next 3 summers. Why? Because with each successive swim, I plan to continue to raise scholarships funds for children to learn to swim at HAC.

This truly is important to me. I hope it is for you too. Please consider helping us reach this goal to give kids important lifelong skills.

June 2024 Update

Bryan is preparing to swim across Lake Erie between June 22 and 28, weather permitting. Despite a few roadblocks along the way, the final details of this undertaking have come together nicely, and Bryan is excited and ready to “raise some serious money for the swim program this year!”

What does it take to prepare for a Lake Erie crossing?

– Swim 10-12 miles per week throughout the winter with MLA Masters
– Increase to 12-15 miles per week in March
– Increase to 15-18 miles per week in April
– Average 20+ miles per week since late May
– Training peak of 31 miles during the last week of May!

What’s next?

Bryan will ramp up his training again after crossing Lake Erie! His next BIG SWIM will take place on August 4-5, when he swims the Catalina Channel in California. This will complete his Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, making him the first person in Michigan (we think!) to complete the Triple Crown.