I started photographing for Swim Across America / Making Waves to Fight Cancer in 2004. Inspired by the fire in the eyes of the swimmers upon exiting the water after their open water one-mile swim, I resolved to see if I too, could complete the one-mile open water course. (After all, I had completed the one-mile swim in the Boy Scouts when I was sixteen!) I did in fact swim the open water one-mile course for several years, but it became difficult to maintain the pool training schedule which was for me required to keep at that level of swimming proficiency. I have therefore concentrated on the photographic mission; I have covered virtually every event at Sound to Cove in Glen Cove NY and East Hampton, NY and it has been a great honor for me to do so.
I have arranged many YouTubes on behalf of those in the fight, the survivors, the swimmers, shore-based and marine-based volunteers, the families, and the children who swim and come and cheer. While it has been greatly rewarding for me, more importantly the Moms, Dads, teens, kids and all the families really like seeing the pictures of their loved ones at this events. People train hard for these open water swims. Believe me, it is non-trivial to venture into open water and swim against the tide. SAA always provides excellent security and safety of course, so anyone who gets into trouble gets immediate assistance.
I dedicate each YouTube in honor of my older sister Judy, who succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2009 at Calvary Hospice in the Bronx after a valiant fight. Let us hope that the leadership efforts of Swim Across America and all of the many other cancer-fighting initiatives in place will soon conquer this dreaded disease. But until then, let us all keep swimming, biking, hiking, mountain climbing, walking in gyms, climbing, DONATING time and money and doing whatever it takes to destroy cancer once and for all.
(I have included also below our Pike’s Peak YouTube. It is somewhat amusing to note that owing to the 7,000′ elevation, I was at my target heart rate exactly 45 SECONDS into the climb. However, things simmered down and nine hours and twelve miles later we were at the summit at 14,000+’. And what a grand adventure it was !)