Through the generous support of donors, the USA Swimming Foundation has been able to contribute to the growth and progression of both open water swimmers and open water competitions. An increase in opportunities for open water athletes directly leads to success on the international level. This support is crucial to ensuring our athletes have every opportunity for success on both national and international stages.
During the preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, concerns regarding Covid-19 were understandably very high. Commercial travel to training camp and of course to and from Tokyo was out of the question. The USA Swimming Foundation, through the generous support of its donors, was able to ensure safe and private travel by contributing over $1 million to the National Team’s Olympic efforts. This allowed athletes the comfort of knowing that their Olympic dreams would not be impacted by Covid-19 and led to tremendous success in the water in Tokyo.
The transition from a career in the pool to a slightly less chlorinated career can be scary for many National Team athletes. The USA Swimming Foundation assists in this transition in several ways. Alumni of the National Team are connected with athletes looking to break in to like fields. Many of these connections take place over networking groups on LinkedIn and Facebook. The Foundation also provides opportunities for industry professionals and leaders to meet with and speak to National Team athletes to give their perspectives and share contacts. Lastly, the USA Swimming Foundation Board works to foster relationships with National Team staff and athletes to ensure dollars are being properly allocated to best support the evolving needs of today’s athletes.
Interested in supporting Olympic and National Team efforts? Please contact Executive Director of Development, Elaine Calip, at ecalip@usaswimming.org.