Swimmer Stories
The Buzzards Bay Swim attracts a wide variety of participants, young and old, avid and casual swimmers. Together, they help save Buzzards Bay by swimming for clean water and supporting the Buzzards Bay Coalition's work. Read what swimmers have to say about the Buzzards Bay Swim, and then join them by registering today!
Natasha Southworth
Dartmouth, Mass.
“Both my girls look forward to the swim each year since my husband always does it. They make tik toks and signs and love the party on the beach. My 8 year old can’t wait until she is old enough to swim it herself.”
Dave Lapalme
Dartmouth, Mass.
“The Buzzards Bay Swim is a unique event. It's the only day of the year that you can cross New Bedford Harbor. I stop around the lighthouse and take a look around feeling fortunate to get in another Swim.”
Rob Thieler
Falmouth, Mass.
“We love swimming in Buzzards Bay because it has many fun and challenging places to swim, from open water to harbors, and options to go point-to-point, circumnavigate islands, and just explore.”
Sara Jacobsen
Mattapoisett, Mass.
“[Buzzards Bay] was the wallpaper of my childhood. I want to make sure I contributed and put effort into my passions. It’s important to show up for the things you care about, not just say you care about them.”
The Harris Family
Marion, Mass.
“We look forward to the Swim every year for its physical challenge, but also the excitement of being part of the crowd swimming. There are people of so many ages participating and having fun.”
Melissa Johnson
Charlotte, N.C.
“I'm a triathlon coach, and I learned about the race from one of my athletes. He spoke so highly of this race and how well it was organized that I decided to sign up to swim, too! Here’s to blue skies and warm water!”
Common Man Athletics
Wrentham, Mass.
“Overall, Orr said the Swim is well run and something he looks forward to every year. ‘The coordinators of the event and the local emergency personnel do an incredible job. All the kudos go to them.’”
The Robertson Family
Dartmouth, Mass.
“Bryan and Laura Robertson were only looking for a fun family get-together when they first participated in the Buzzards Bay Swim. Now the father-daughter duo has turned the Swim into a family tradition.”
Steve Johnson
Westport, Mass.
"I love salt water swimming, and the clean waters around Buzzards Bay make that possible for me in the summer. The Swim is a fun way to help raise funds for the Coalition, the guardian of the Bay.”
The Ashley Sisters
Rochester, Mass.
“The [Swim] mission is so personal and so cool — you are swimming through the water you are trying to protect. It’s a real accomplishment to get to the other side and look back and say ‘I swam the Bay!’”
Dan Vasconcellos
New Bedford, Mass.
“Twenty years ago, you might have been able to see your hand in front of you. Now, the conditions in the harbor are unbelievable. I like to think it’s due to the efforts of the Coalition.”
Erica Miller
Dartmouth, Mass.
“Miller first heard of the Swim at a 2003 Earth Day event. The Bouchard 120 released an estimated 98,000 gallons of oil into the bay a few days later. Clean water was a cause that Miller couldn’t ignore.”
Leslie & Stephanie Trott
Cedar Grove, N.J.
"Our family has sailed and fished these waters since the whaling era, but we're the first to swim them. We hope that for generations to come, all will be able to enjoy the Bay.”
Bob Milne
Arlington, Mass.
"I am swimming to honor the late Richard Jackson of Marion. He was a graduate of Massachusetts Maritime, served in the Navy and sailed on Buzzards Bay his whole life. He lived for the ocean.”
Halle Berger
Acushnet, Mass.
“The Swim has become an integral part of my summer; I am determined to participate every year that I can. It combines two of my favorite things: swimming and protecting the ocean that I love.”
Gerry Payette
Bristol, R.I.
"The Swim is a great cause, and it's always a challenge for me. All of the support from so many people is inspiring and great to see. My cousin swam with me for the first time [in 2015] and wants to do it again.”
Nancy Smith
Dartmouth, Mass.
“Smith said she wasn't confident the first time around, but her fears were quickly washed away after that first plunge in 1999. ‘Once I begun, I haven't stopped. I plan to keep swimming as long as I possibly can.’”
Marco Brunette
Concord, Mass.
“Just go out there and do it! It’s a hugely rewarding swim, and it’s also a lot of fun — you can hang out at the beach with your friends and eat pancakes. It’s worth getting up early for.”
Greg Glavin
Marion, Mass.
“I enjoy the race; it’s a fun event. My daughter tries to make it, my dad, my brother, his family. I boat in Buzzards Bay, I surf in Buzzards Bay, I enjoy Buzzards Bay, so [the Swim] is a nice way of giving back.”
Tom & Linda Hannon
Onset, Mass.
“Until two and a half years ago, Tom Hannon had never swam before. [In 2016], he splashed his way through a 1.2 mile course in the 23rd annual Buzzards Bay Swim alongside his wife, Linda.”
Rosie Byrnes
New Bedford, Mass.
“When you just let go, swimming in the ocean is the most natural, freeing thing in the world. Those open waters allow us to glimpse the immense powers on this earth, and we are enveloped in that power.”
