Swim Brothers Joe and John Zemaitis to Swim in All 50 States in 30 Days
Swim Brothers Joe and John Zemaitis on July 20 will start a swim-a-thon visiting all 50 states in 30 days to swim 10 kilometers in each.
The effort will raise money for the USA Swimming Foundation in an effort to promote water safety and drowning prevention and provide access to open-water swimming across the country.
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The adventure will start in Hawaii on July 20. From there, they will fly to Big Lake in Anchorage, Alaska, then started an RV trip across the country. The final swim is slated for Arizona in mid-August, which is Drowning Impact Awareness Month.
“For thirty-five years I’ve been involved with USA Swimming as a swimmer and as a coach,” Joe Zemaitis said in a press release. “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.”
Both Zemaitis brothers are distinguished open water swimmers. Joe, the head coach and owner of Arizona-based Swim Neptune, has swum the most documented open water miles in the world since 2018. They’ve combined to be nominated three times for Open Water Swimming Man of the Year. Both have swum the English Channel, a double circumnavigation of Manhattan, Loch Ness and the Seas of Galilee. John, a standout swimmer at Arizona State, worked for 12 years as a contractor for Chevron in Nigeria.
The Swim Brothers are raising funds through USA Swimming’s website. You can follow their exploits on Instagram @SwimBrothersUSA.
“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.”