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Physically Challenged Athletes who:
- Have overcome life-challenging accidents or illnesses
- Come from various levels of competitive athletic experience
- Represent 20 different sports
- Scholarships are awarded to Recipients at Universities throughout the USA
EXPANDING ACROSS THE NATION
The purpose of the Swim With Mike scholarship is to help individuals who have suffered a serious accident or an illness. Due to the increased need for the Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund and given the fact the that Swim With Mike is the only scholarship program of its kind, in 1999, Swim With Mike decided to expand nationally and award scholarships to recipients attending schools other that USC. The Swim With Mike mission statement is to provide financial resources for the advanced education and to pave the way for physically challenged athletes to overcome their tragedies and realize their full potential- no matter where he or she goes to school.
On March 5, 2005 Swim With Mike held it’s first satellite swim at the University of Hawaii’s Duke Kahanamoku Aquatics Complex. It was a huge success bringing Hawaii’s sports and aquatics communities together for a great cause.
Since 2005 Hawaii has hosted Swim With Mike - Hawaii 2006, 2007, 2008 and on May 2, 2009 will do it againand this year a 3000 meter ocean swim will be added to the list of activities. The quintessential aquatics festival Swim With Mike - Hawaii features the traditional swim-a-thon as well as water polo, surf polo (water polo played on surfboards), synchronized swimming, diving and the highlight - the student-athlete relays featuring collegiate student-athletes from the University of Hawaii and the Pacific West Conference.
In 2007, Swim With Mike scholarship recipient and Stanford University student Joe Kay with the support of the Stanford Men’s and Women’s Volleyball teams organized Swim With Mike at Stanford. They did it again in 2008 raising more than $5000. On May 16, 2009 Stanford freshman Molly Fausone and Swim with Mike scholarship recipient will join Joe Kay and Stanford Student-Athletes for the third Swim With Mike Stanford.
In 2008, Swim With Mike scholarship recipient and University of Connecticut student Joe Zinski joined with the UCONN Honors Program and the UCONN Huskies Student-Athletes to host a Swim With Mike fundraiser raising more than $3000 and they are doing it again on April 19th, 2009.
Other Swim with Mike recipients are planning events on their campuses and/or are planning on swimming themselves or are recruiting friends and family to swim, walk, run, dive or float on their behalf. There are so many ways to play a part in supporting Swim with Mike and the Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund!
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