Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Swim Brothers Wrap Ultimate Swim-A-Thon, Swim 10K in All 50 States in 30 Days
As the Phillips 66 National Championships were kicking off last month in Irvine, another important set of races was starting across the Pacific.
Joe and John Zemaitis – aka “The Swim Brothers” – were embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. Their goal was lofty: Swim 10 kilometers in each of the 50 states in 30 days to promote water safety, drowning prevention and competitive and open water swimming - all the while raising $10,000 for the USA Swimming Foundation.
And guess what – they pulled it off, even finishing five days early.
“Three years of planning and diligent training culminated in exceeding every goal we had for the swim: surpassing our fundraising goal, finishing five days ahead of schedule, and even enjoying the journey more than I thought I would!” Joe Zemaitis said. “John and I have always been close, but this shared experience brought us even closer. We hope that our adventure will inspire others to swim and set big goals in and out of the water.”
The duo started what has been dubbed the Ultimate Swim-a-Thon in Hawaii, then went on to Alaska, then with an RV and some dedicated friends in tow, made their way across the 48 contiguous states; sometimes swimming as many as three, 10k swims a day.
“The Ultimate Swim-a-Thon was an amazing and unforgettable adventure. As we finished under sunny skies in Lake Powell, Arizona, it seemed surreal that in the past 25 days we had swum over 350 miles in about 175 hours,” Joe Zemaitis said. “John and I were overwhelmed with gratitude for those who had supported and encouraged us in this journey in so many ways.”
But it wasn’t all smooth water as the Swim Brothers completed their task. Joe Zemaitis recalled swimming through an underwater graveyard of trees in Texas, and for a few seconds thinking they were gators. Or when their boat got stuck in the low water levels in Colorado. The pair even swam with dolphins in Florida – but apparently dolphin fins can also look like shark fins in the dark! All in all, they travelled approximately 20,000 miles on this adventure: 9,000 by plane and 11,000 on the road.
"It's a great feeling to know we finished,” John Zemaitis said. “It was also great to see the support and read comments online while we were driving. It was inspirational and helpful for us to keep pushing through no matter how tired we were.”
“We reconnected with old friends and made new ones,” Joe Zemaitis said. “We saw all 50 states through a pair of goggles."
There are three days left in the 30 days of the Ultimate Swim-a-Thon. Though the Swim Brothers have surpassed their goal of raising $10,000 for the USA Swimming Foundation, you can help push their fundraising efforts even further by helping support the USA Swimming Foundation’s mission of saving lives and building champions. Donate now: https://give.usaswimming.org/campaign/ultimate-swim-a-thon/c412191.
To learn more about the Swim Brothers and why they support the USA Swimming Foundation check out: https://www.usaswimming.org/news/2022/07/11/swim-brothers-kick-off-the-ultimate-swim-a-thon-to-benefit-usa-swimming-foundation.
To see more from their cross-country adventure, follow Joe and John on Instagram @SwimBrothersUSA.
Joe and John Zemaitis – aka “The Swim Brothers” – were embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. Their goal was lofty: Swim 10 kilometers in each of the 50 states in 30 days to promote water safety, drowning prevention and competitive and open water swimming - all the while raising $10,000 for the USA Swimming Foundation.
And guess what – they pulled it off, even finishing five days early.
“Three years of planning and diligent training culminated in exceeding every goal we had for the swim: surpassing our fundraising goal, finishing five days ahead of schedule, and even enjoying the journey more than I thought I would!” Joe Zemaitis said. “John and I have always been close, but this shared experience brought us even closer. We hope that our adventure will inspire others to swim and set big goals in and out of the water.”
The duo started what has been dubbed the Ultimate Swim-a-Thon in Hawaii, then went on to Alaska, then with an RV and some dedicated friends in tow, made their way across the 48 contiguous states; sometimes swimming as many as three, 10k swims a day.
“The Ultimate Swim-a-Thon was an amazing and unforgettable adventure. As we finished under sunny skies in Lake Powell, Arizona, it seemed surreal that in the past 25 days we had swum over 350 miles in about 175 hours,” Joe Zemaitis said. “John and I were overwhelmed with gratitude for those who had supported and encouraged us in this journey in so many ways.”
But it wasn’t all smooth water as the Swim Brothers completed their task. Joe Zemaitis recalled swimming through an underwater graveyard of trees in Texas, and for a few seconds thinking they were gators. Or when their boat got stuck in the low water levels in Colorado. The pair even swam with dolphins in Florida – but apparently dolphin fins can also look like shark fins in the dark! All in all, they travelled approximately 20,000 miles on this adventure: 9,000 by plane and 11,000 on the road.
"It's a great feeling to know we finished,” John Zemaitis said. “It was also great to see the support and read comments online while we were driving. It was inspirational and helpful for us to keep pushing through no matter how tired we were.”
“We reconnected with old friends and made new ones,” Joe Zemaitis said. “We saw all 50 states through a pair of goggles."
There are three days left in the 30 days of the Ultimate Swim-a-Thon. Though the Swim Brothers have surpassed their goal of raising $10,000 for the USA Swimming Foundation, you can help push their fundraising efforts even further by helping support the USA Swimming Foundation’s mission of saving lives and building champions. Donate now: https://give.usaswimming.org/campaign/ultimate-swim-a-thon/c412191.
To learn more about the Swim Brothers and why they support the USA Swimming Foundation check out: https://www.usaswimming.org/news/2022/07/11/swim-brothers-kick-off-the-ultimate-swim-a-thon-to-benefit-usa-swimming-foundation.
To see more from their cross-country adventure, follow Joe and John on Instagram @SwimBrothersUSA.