I am going to swim across the Hudson River again in August. Last year I met crazy people like myself who love the water and want to make it accessible for everyone. All the funds raised go towards free and safe access to the river every summer. Donate if you can!
* Swimming is good for the body because it exercises the cardiovascular system, builds muscles and bone strength, improves coordination, flexibility and balance and boosts brain function and memory retention.
** Swimming is an essential survival skill. Drowning is a leading cause of death for children. When parents have no/low swimming skills, their children are more likely to drown. Black children in the U.S. ages 10-14 drown at rates up to 7.6 times higher than their white peers.
*** Swimming releases endorphins while reducing cortisol, which decreases anxiety and boosts mental health.
Check out this great podcast episode from NPR's Code Switch:
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/27/nx-s1-5515711/how-racism-kept-americans-out-of-pools
