Monday, July 11, 2022
Swim Brothers Kick Off the Ultimate Swim-a-Thon to Benefit USA Swimming Foundation
Photo courtesy of Joe Zemaitis
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Starting on July 20, brothers Joe and John Zemaitis will kick off an adventure years in the making. Their goal is to swim 10 kilometers in all 50 states within 30 days. Through this effort they seek to promote water safety and drowning prevention, in addition to competitive and open water swimming, across the country.
"For thirty-five years I've been involved with USA Swimming as a swimmer and as a coach,” Joe Zemaitis said. “To partner with the USA Swimming Foundation to spread the message of Saving Lives and Building Champions as we go across the United States swimming a marathon in all 50 states will be the trip of a lifetime. For nearly 20 years, I've been challenging swimmers I coach in Arizona at Swim Neptune to set challenging goals, train hard and fearlessly pursue their dreams. I'm getting the chance to do just that with our upcoming adventure.”
The adventure starts in Hawaii before moving on to the Big Lake in Anchorage, Alaska. Then the brothers and their support crew will pile into an RV and start the road trip of a lifetime. They plan to complete their last swim in Arizona in mid-August. August is Drowning Impact Awareness month, and Joe and John Zemaitis are using their platform to fundraise for the USA Swimming Foundation and its mission of Saving Lives and Building Champions.
“The USA Swimming Foundation is grateful for Joe and John’s incredible generosity and their commitment to water safety and drowning prevention,” said Lucinda McRoberts, Executive Director of the USA Swimming Foundation. “We are excited to follow their journey and cheer on their progress.”
To donate and to follow along with the latest from the Swim Brothers, please visit https://give.usaswimming.org/campaign/ultimate-swim-a-thon/c412191
There, you will also find updates on their progress, upcoming stops, and escapades along the way. You can also follow Joe and John on Instagram @SwimBrothersUSA.
The Swim Brothers are no stranger to open water swimming or extreme challenges. They are both recognized among the world’s most prolific open water swimmers, and Joe Zemaitis has the most documented miles in open water of anyone in the world since 2018. Both also have been nominated as the Open Water Swimming Man of the Year (Joe Zemaitis in 2020 and 2021, John Zemaitis in 2020). Together they have swum the English Channel, double circumnavigation of Manhattan (57 Miles), Loch Ness (22 miles), double Seas of Galilee (25 miles) and many more.
Joe Zemaitis currently serves as the head coach and owner of Swim Neptune, a USA Swimming member club with various locations across the Phoenix metro area and rural Arizona. He is also the current Administrative Vice Chair and incoming General Chair of Arizona Swimming. Joe Zemaitis was twice selected by the American Swim Coaches Association as the Arizona Swim Coach of the Year.
John Zemaitis was a standout performer in the pool. He was a scholarship athlete at Arizona State University and graduated from its School of Engineering with a degree in Construction Management. John Zemaitis worked as a contractor for Chevron in Nigeria for 12 years and currently owns a small residential/commercial construction business.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Starting on July 20, brothers Joe and John Zemaitis will kick off an adventure years in the making. Their goal is to swim 10 kilometers in all 50 states within 30 days. Through this effort they seek to promote water safety and drowning prevention, in addition to competitive and open water swimming, across the country.
"For thirty-five years I've been involved with USA Swimming as a swimmer and as a coach,” Joe Zemaitis said. “To partner with the USA Swimming Foundation to spread the message of Saving Lives and Building Champions as we go across the United States swimming a marathon in all 50 states will be the trip of a lifetime. For nearly 20 years, I've been challenging swimmers I coach in Arizona at Swim Neptune to set challenging goals, train hard and fearlessly pursue their dreams. I'm getting the chance to do just that with our upcoming adventure.”
The adventure starts in Hawaii before moving on to the Big Lake in Anchorage, Alaska. Then the brothers and their support crew will pile into an RV and start the road trip of a lifetime. They plan to complete their last swim in Arizona in mid-August. August is Drowning Impact Awareness month, and Joe and John Zemaitis are using their platform to fundraise for the USA Swimming Foundation and its mission of Saving Lives and Building Champions.
“The USA Swimming Foundation is grateful for Joe and John’s incredible generosity and their commitment to water safety and drowning prevention,” said Lucinda McRoberts, Executive Director of the USA Swimming Foundation. “We are excited to follow their journey and cheer on their progress.”
To donate and to follow along with the latest from the Swim Brothers, please visit https://give.usaswimming.org/campaign/ultimate-swim-a-thon/c412191
There, you will also find updates on their progress, upcoming stops, and escapades along the way. You can also follow Joe and John on Instagram @SwimBrothersUSA.
The Swim Brothers are no stranger to open water swimming or extreme challenges. They are both recognized among the world’s most prolific open water swimmers, and Joe Zemaitis has the most documented miles in open water of anyone in the world since 2018. Both also have been nominated as the Open Water Swimming Man of the Year (Joe Zemaitis in 2020 and 2021, John Zemaitis in 2020). Together they have swum the English Channel, double circumnavigation of Manhattan (57 Miles), Loch Ness (22 miles), double Seas of Galilee (25 miles) and many more.
Joe Zemaitis currently serves as the head coach and owner of Swim Neptune, a USA Swimming member club with various locations across the Phoenix metro area and rural Arizona. He is also the current Administrative Vice Chair and incoming General Chair of Arizona Swimming. Joe Zemaitis was twice selected by the American Swim Coaches Association as the Arizona Swim Coach of the Year.
John Zemaitis was a standout performer in the pool. He was a scholarship athlete at Arizona State University and graduated from its School of Engineering with a degree in Construction Management. John Zemaitis worked as a contractor for Chevron in Nigeria for 12 years and currently owns a small residential/commercial construction business.