For a city of fewer than 3,000 people, Seward, Alaska is getting used to winning a lot.
Not only is it the hometown of 2020 Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby, but the Seward Tsunami Swim Club was also finally able to redeem their 2021 Swim-a-Thon™ grand prize – a visit from National Team members and Olympians Nic Fink and Melanie Margalis.
Seward Tsunami has become a perennial powerhouse when it comes to their Swim-a-Thon fundraising efforts, landing among the top fundraising teams in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 and then last year. The club also won the grand prize back in 2016 when two-time Olympic medalist Jessica Hardy visited the picturesque town that serves as the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. Jacoby noted the visit was very inspiring to her as a young swimmer in the club and worked with Fink and Margalis to lead the day’s events.
At Seward High School, the trio led a younger group of about 25 through a breaststroke workout in the morning while another group of about 50 more experienced swimmers participated in dryland activities. The groups then switched roles in and out of the pool throughout the day. Later they met in the auditorium where the three athletes shared personal stories with the young swimmers. To round out the evening, the club held a potluck on the sound for the athletes and their families.
About USA Swimming
USA Swimming is the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States. We promote the culture of swimming by creating safe and healthy opportunities for athletes and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Our membership is comprised of swimmers of every age and ability, all the way up to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches, officials and volunteers.