Participants carrying American flags while completing the Navy SEAL Swim. (Bazza J Holmes/Navy SEAL Foundation)
Navy SEAL veterans and first responders from across the country will gather at Liberty State Park in New Jersey to begin a rigorous 3-mile swim across the Hudson River for the sixth annual Navy SEAL Swim on Saturday.
Organized by the Navy SEAL Foundation, participating swimmers raise money for the organization while honoring victims of 9/11 and all — from first responders to military personnel — who have died serving the country.
Swimmers will start at the Empty Sky Memorial in New Jersey and run a mile to the Hudson River, where they dive in and swim to Liberty Island to complete 100 push-ups and 22 pull-ups under the iconic Statue of Liberty.
The swim continues to neighboring Ellis Island, where participants complete another 100 push-ups and 22-pull ups before swimming to Battery Park in Lower Manhattan.
Swimmers gathered at the National September 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan, New York after completing the Navy SEAL Swim. (Bazza J Holmes/Navy SEAL Foundation)
Picking up American flags for the final run, swimmers conclude at America’s Response Monument at the World Trade Center after completing yet another set of push-ups and pull-ups, bringing the total to 300 push-ups and 66 pull-ups.
This swim can prove intensive even for seasoned Navy SEAL veterans. To ensure all participants are safe, organizers vet the strength and endurance of potential swimmers beforehand.
Geoff Leard, Director of Partnerships & Athletic Events for the Navy SEAL Foundation and previous participant in the swim, explained this process to Stars and Stripes.
Each swimmer must “pass a qualifying training swim or show proof of completion of open water swimming 3 miles or greater in the past year,” Leard said. “Each swimmer is personally vetted by lead SEAL and event founder Bill Brown.”
Non-SEAL swimmers must have completed military training that “shows they are competent in the water” and pass a screening swim test to participate, according to NSF’s website. Swimmers who do not complete this process are not allowed to participate.
Participants completing pull-ups during the Navy SEAL swim, with the World Trade Center seen in the background. (Bazza J Holmes/Navy SEAL Foundation)
The event raises money for NSF, whose mission is to “provide critical support for the warriors, veterans and families of naval special warfare,” according to the website. To enter the swim, participants pledge to raise a minimum of $2,000 for the organization.
Leard explained the foundation’s goals in organizing the swim and in raising money.
“The NYC SEAL Swim is an amazing event that raises money to support over 30 programs the NSF has to offer to SEALs, veterans, their families and personnel of the SEAL community. What is special about this swim is that it emphasizes three of our five pillars of support: resilience, dedication to Gold Star Surviving Families and community,” Leard said.
The swim started with just 34 participating SEALs in its first year. Over 300 swimmers are registered to swim this year, the most in the event’s history.
“I am blown away by the support participants show to the NSF and SEAL community,” Leard said. “It’s true unity and shows what selflessness is really about.”
