Support a Campaign

Swim With Mike is extremely important because it is a program that provides scholarships to help physically challenged athletes. These students often have high medical costs, making it difficult to pay for education. The scholarships provided by Swim With Mike are so important because they help these students receive an education. With an education, they are more likely to be accepted for a job, thus setting them up for success. I am raising money for Swim With Mike because I believe education is extremely important and want to do my part to help others receive one.

This amazing charity gives physically challenged athletes, assistance towards life goals, and a means of motivation and support. I have supported the Swim with Mike event for about 30 years and enjoy being involved. Please do what you can to support me and the Swim with Mike recipients!  Thank you!

I am raising money for Swim with Mike because simply put, this organization changes lives. Students who suffer life altering disabilities like myself are often forced to place education on the back burner because of the focus and dedication that recovering from a major injury requires. Swim with Mike provided me encouragement, motivation, and the opportunity to pursue higher education without the high financial burden that college places on students with disabilities who usually already have an increased cost of living because of a disability. Not only does Swim with Mike provide financial support, but it truly is a family which provides guidance and motivation to pursue my dreams of becoming a lawyer. I sincerely hope that you consider supporting this organization which has done so much for me and others with similar goals and ambitions.

Since Swim With Mike originated through two members of the USC Swim Team, and as a swim team alum myself, I find this amazing cause to be something that is close to home. During my memorable time on the team we would volunteer each spring at the annual event and I continue to volunteer today. Although not the swimmer I once was, I continue to swim laps in support! 

Swim With Mike scholarships change lives!

I wish that I could describe to you how in the absence of becoming a Swim With Mike recipient, I would still find myself in the same position I am today. Unfortunately, I cannot do that. Almost ten years ago, I became a casualty of the sport I loved; a football player who broke his neck and was paralyzed playing a game he dreamed of pursuing in college. Fast forward a few years, and I was struggling to find a direction. Ultimately I knew what I wanted to do, my injury had taken away my ability to become a rescue helicopter pilot in the United States Coast Guard but my passion to help those in need remained, and I wanted to help people in similar situations find the resources and courage to take their lives back. My only problem, was actually obtaining an education that would put my career in position to enact system-wide change.

Fortunately, Swim With Mike awarded me the opportunity to obtain that career objective and gave me the unparalleled ability to pursue a degree at the school of my choice. With their unwavering support, I graduated from the University of Southern California in 2017 and received a B.S. in Policy, Planning, and Development. However, Swim With Mike did not stop there and again with their unmatched generosity in 2018 I graduated from USC with a Master of Health Administration.

This scholarship has impacted my life in ways that are overwhelming and difficult to describe. The entire program is based off donations and volunteers. If you are able to donate, I would greatly appreciate it. If nothing else, I ask that you PLEASE share or forward this information. Thank You!!!

Swim With Mike helps young men and women who have been dealt a major setback. I'm willing to support them with this fundraising effort because they have to be willing to work hard and help themselves for this to work. And after doing this for 20 years, I can see that it works.

I started participating in this fundraiser over 35 years ago. At first it was just a fun event with some friends who were fellow swimmers. Little did I know that my nephew Joe Broc would one day be a recipient of this wonderful organization.
Please donate what you can. When asked if you are sponsoring anyone, include my name.
Much appreciated one and all

I've been involved at Swim with Mike for five years coming now. I started my freshman year through the Trojan Knights and have befriended a ton of recipients, namely Zack Wentz and Zach Pickett. Their stories of grit, resilience and overcoming adversity have really touched me. I'm looking forward to helping out however I can to provide opportunities for future recipients to achieve their potential through academics.

I am raising money because I believe in the cause and have become very close to people this organization helps. I have played baseball for 17 years of my life, and could not imagine what I would do without it. I appreciate the game, and I have learned, while volunteering for this amazing organization, that it is not something that should be taken for granted. I have listened to multiple personal stories about athletes who go through a complete life altering occurrence and must find a way to cope with their injuries. Swim With Mike gives physically disabled athletes a support system to rely on and creates an easier transition post injury, and is an organization that I would want to be in existence if I could not play the game I love anymore. I understand how sports can influence and change a person's life, so I want to help out those who can no longer express their love for the game by playing it how they used to.

The USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy is involved with Swim With Mike every year. As future healthcare providers, the USC DPT Class of 2020 hopes to fundraise to give prospective students with physical disabilities the chance to achieve their goal of attending university. Our profession is focused on helping and treating people with physical impairments and disabilities, so we are happy to be involved with this event! 

I am incredibly grateful to be a recipient of the swim with Mike scholarship. Not only has it been a help financially, but it is comforting to know that so many other disabled athletes like myself have the drive and the ability to pursue our education. I hope that through my campaign and the continued support of all Swim With Mike’s generous donors, future students will be as fortunate as I am to receive support and enter into this wonderful community.

Our swim team has been raising money for Swim with Mike for several years.  It has been the most rewarding and fun fundraiser that I have every participated in.  Over the years it has been a great challenge for our team and for me personally to swim and raise money for a great cause such as this.  After meeting with some of these former athletes that the charity supports and seeing their personalities and fortitude in their circumstances, it becomes a simple labor of love to help them get back on their feet by providing a great college experience.  

Go Swim with Mike and Go Rose Bowl

To support the scholarship that helped ensure Zach Pickett and Zack Wentz could attend the University of Southern California, the friends of these two at the USC are campaigning to ensure that individuals such as them can continue to pursue their goals.

A Swim With Mike (SWM) scholarship changed my life.

I was paralyzed in a snowboarding accident when I was only thirteen years old. One second I was an active kid, playing basketball, riding mountain bikes, and snowboarding. The next second I was a quadriplegic, unable to move or feel anything below my chest. I struggled even to breathe. I broke my neck at the C4/C5 level and sustained a spinal cord injury. I spent almost four months in the hospital and when I returned home I had to learn a whole new way of life. I started high school using a wheelchair and I needed an aide to take notes and to help me get around campus. I studied hard and achieved a 4.3 GPA. I also went to physical rehabilitation every day after school to try to recover function and movement. Fortunately, I made great progress and I can now live independently. But I also expended all of my family's resources on uninsured medical expenses, leaving little for education.

Thankfully, I learned about the Swim With Mike scholarship fund. I started supporting SWM events in high school. Eventually, I applied to college and was accepted at USC and awarded a SWM scholarship myself. It was a dream come true. Last year I graduated with a B.S. in chemical engineering. In May 2019 I will receive a Masters in materials engineering. I am currently searching for a career opportunity in materials sciences.

I could not dream this big without SWM. Please help SWM provide scholarship funds for physically challenged athletes. You will change the lives of students challenged by paralysis, blindness, and amputation. Thank you so much for helping.

Swim With Mike is a phenomenal organization that provides scholarship for physically challenged athletes. I first heard about Swim With Mike as a sophomore in high school, and every year since, I have participated in their annual events at different universities. I am extremely grateful to have had their support in allowing me to further my education at UC Berkeley and UC San Diego.

Through Swim With Mike, I have met incredible and powerful students who faced similar tragedies and still pursued their careers. Please support this amazing organization to help students reach their dreams. Thank you so much!

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Our dear friend, Mike Nyeholt, was tragically paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in 1981.  At the time of his accident, Mike was a collegiate All-American swimmer and our USC teammate. What started as a one-time event, thirty-nine years ago, to raise funds to purchase equipment for our good friend has grown into a major annual fundraising campaign called Swim With Mike (SWM).  SWM awards scholarships to athletes who have become disabled through an accident, injury or illness.  Since its inception SWM has raised nearly $22M providing college scholarships to 230 recipients at 122 universities across the United States.

Last year, the four Furniss Brothers, all graduates of USC where Swim with Mike was first established, created The Furniss Family & Friends Endowed Scholarship supporting Swim With Mike!  As this effort just completed its inaugural year, we are thrilled to share significant news that we surpassed our initial fundraising goal of $100,000.  Now with your continued financial support, we look to build upon this success for years to come.

Through your support, The Furniss Family & Friends Endowed Scholarship will offer perpetual hope to student athletes who have experienced a devastating event leaving them physically disabled like our friend Mike. For SWM scholarship recipients, an education has proven to be the single most important element in continuing to live a productive and fulfilling life.  A SWM scholarship not only provides the means to pursue a college education, but most importantly gives hope and support at a time when it is needed most.

The Swim With Mike event is a pledge-per-lap swim-a-thon which raises money for the Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund. In honor of SWM's 39 years of good works, we each intend to swim 39 laps on April 6, 2019.

Should you wish to sponsor this important endeavor, you can make a donation with your credit card by hitting the "Support this Campaign" button on this page.

Alternatively if you'd rather mail us a check for your donation, email us at furnissfamilyandfriends@gmail.com with your pledge and we'll insure you receive a bill for your pledge.  Make your check out to “Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund" including "Furniss Family & Friends Scholarship" in the "for line" and mail it to:

Swim With Mike /3501 Watt Way HER 203B / Los Angeles, CA 90089-0602

You are also welcome to attend this year's event at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center on Saturday, April 6 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and personally meet many of these remarkable athletes who have turned their lives around with the assistance of SWM.

Thank you for supporting our family's endeavor assisting this most worthy of causes.

With gratitude,

The Furniss Brothers

Chip (USC '73), Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Steve (USC '76), Huntington Beach, CA

Bruce (USC '79), Villa Park, CA

Craig (USC '81), North Tustin, CA

Swim with Mike has gave me the opportunity to attend Gonzaga University. Without the support from Nate Higgins and SWM donors I would not be where I am today. I am so grateful for all the support that has been given to me throughout the years from family and friends and people like you. I want to raise money so that other kids can have the same opportunities as me. I want to inspire others in order to help them move forward and to do it with a smile on their face! 

Go every play like it’s going to be your last, and live every day so you don’t regret the past.
In this world we all play a part, so play the game of life... With Heart!

Hi Everyone!

Please help me raise some money for Swim with Mike! They are an amazing organization that helps pay for injured athletes to get a college education. Swim with Mike is the reason I have a college degree and currently in a masters program. This organization gives me hope for my future and allows me to follow my dreams. I would not be where I am today without the help of SWM.I broke my neck when I was 15 years old and had no idea what I was going to do after high school. I heard about SWM through a friend while I was at therapy one day and decided to apply my senior year of high school. This profound organization gave me a new path a future for myself. If you can please help donate to this amazing organization! They are changing the lives of others and giving hope to everyone of them. 

Swim with Mike has impacted my life in many ways. As a former recipient, the organization and its donors generously supported my landscape architecture and urban planning schooling at Colorado State University and the University of Southern California. The organization's kindness, selflessness, and passion is second to none. With their help, I was able to reach my goals and now work as a landscape architect for the National Park Service.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have received a quality education at all stages of my life, and I believe it is the cornerstone of a successful and interesting person. For someone with a disability, it is even more valuable because it not only gives you the tools of the trade but makes you visible in the eyes of the field. Education gives us that leg up to compete with other applicants and employees who may be able to do things faster or stronger.

Please help me support these students so that they can find and succeed in their passions. Thanks!

Swim With Mike gave me so much more than simply an education - they gave me a supportive network that has had a dramatic impact on my life. After my accident, I wasn't sure if college was even going to be a possibility for me. Swim With Mike believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself. My goal is to pay it forward so that the next generation of disabled athletes have the same opportunities I've been afforded. In honor of Swim With Mike's 39th Anniversary, I will be matching all donations dollar for dollar up to $3,900.

I am going to be swimming at the 39th annual Swim With Mike event at USC on April 6th, and I am asking for your help in raising some funds for this great organization.

In case you're not familiar with SWM, they are a non-profit that gives scholarships to student athletes who become physically challenged due to tragic injuries such as paralysis.

It has personal meaning for me because my brother Daryl was the recipient of a SWM scholarship after suffering a severe spinal cord injury while in college. I have seen first hand how difficult it is for an athlete like Daryl to transition to a life of previously unimaginable circumstances, yet how inspiring it is as they overcome countless obstacles and achieve huge successes.

Today Daryl is an awesome high school teacher and is constantly pouring into others. I am thankful for how SWM helped Daryl and other students like him.

I am not a great swimmer, but I am going to push hard for this and plan to swim at least 2 miles!

Your donation will truly make an impact, and is tax deductible in the USA.

Thanks for your support,

Eric Holmlund

Here's a couple pictures of me and my two brothers at last year's SWM fundraiser...

(The picture at the top of this page is of two my kids and their uncle Daryl, taken last year in Alaska. The video is a music video that I put together for a song written and performed by Daryl. He is also a talented musician and has recorded a few albums.)

     I'm a Swim With Mike Alumnus who is currently on the SWM Board. I've swam at Swim With Mike USC for nine years in a row, and last year I challenged myself to do the Waikiki Roughwater Swim for Swim With Mike. 

     This year I'm challenging myself to do a a 10k swim - though I'm still deciding which race to, most likely either the Del Valle Open Water Festival (Livermore, CA) or the Horsetooth Open Water Swim (Fort Collins, CO) or both.

     I've also hosted musical events at my house the past two years to raise money from Swim With Mike, and I'm planning to do it again this year, but the wet spring weather caused me to delay planning that until later this spring.

     Instead of writing about how much Swim With Mike means to me, I'll be posting videos from myself and others, starting with the thank you speech I made at the Roughwater Swim last September after finishing the 2.4 mile course.

One aspect of the injury I sustained that many people don’t think about is the ongoing expenses that have been added to my daily life. These expenses only add on to the pile of expenses I have faced in my decision to pursue my college education. For me and many of the other athletes that are members of this organization, because of our injuries, it is not realistic for us to be able to work jobs while maintaining a full course load at school.  This scholarship is a huge blessing that helps relieve the financial burden of attending college. After 4 years of receiving this scholarship, I cannot begin to say how thankful I am for all that this organization has done for me. I am asking you lease to help me raise money to give back to this organization so that they can continue to provide support for the many other student athletes to come. 

[caption id="attachment_14239" align="alignnone" width="300"] Mara and Mike[/caption] [caption id="attachment_26618" align="alignnone" width="300"] Ron Orr (L) and Neil Macready (R)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_26621" align="alignnone" width="300"] Sean John and Jamie Hunter[/caption] [caption id="attachment_26622" align="alignnone" width="225"] Dan Redden[/caption]

As a young child I was struck by a car and sustained a spinal cord injury. Growing up I participated in every adaptable sport there was. My two passions were surfing and wheelchair rugby. I spent my high school years focusing on school and took a class on movie production and it sparked a love of story telling through film. I had already fallen in love with the University of Southern California and my dream became to attend the USC School of Cinematic Arts. It was truly a dream come true when I received that acceptance letter into this incredible program. Swim Woth Mike helped make my dream a reality! Without their support both financially and emotionally I would not have been able to attend. How can you pay someone back for helping you reach your wildest dream? I’m currently working in the entertainment industry and have had the opportunity to work on numerous film projects, music videos, sound design and now post production. Thank you just isn’t enough! I am raising money so that other disabled athletes can reach their dreams too! 

Swim With Mike is important to me because it has given me an opportunity to chase my dreams. By having a SWM scholarship, I have been given the chance to go to this first class university and learn from some of the top knowledge in the world. As a Communications Major and Sports Media Minor, there is no better to be than Los Angeles, the media capital of the world. The Swim With Mike community is a family, and I am beyond thankful to be apart of it. As I edge closer to the finish line of my academic career, I can confidently say that SWM has been the reason I have been able to experience such a memorable and enjoyable five years.

After a spinal cord injury at 18, my life completely changed. I went from college to rehab, and my dreams for the future were put on hold as I had to learn to adjust. I thought a lot about going back to school, but I always decided it was too expensive and too difficult in a wheelchair.

One day I heard about SWM and was inspired by the other recipients and excited about the opportunity to go to school. So, I applied!

My scholarship from Swim with Mike has helped me tremendously with the outrageous cost of college tuition. Please donate to my campaign and help other physically disabled people that want to go back to school but can't afford it.

Swim With Mike is a phenomenal organization that provides scholarship to help create bright futures for women and men who have experienced personal tragedies by funding their pursuit of an undergraduate or graduate degree.  I like the idea of giving a hand UP not a hand OUT.

Please donate TODAY!  Click on my SWM link to donate, it will only take a few minutes. 

Thank you kindly,

Josette Kreeger

Swim With Mike has a long history with our family peripherally.  We've supported the good work of this organization for 20+ years and love the positive impact this has on lending a hand up, not a hand out, to those with unfortunate physical challenges so they may be more productive members of our society.  Education is the key to bettering ourselves and those around us.  Swim With Mike filled a narrow gap, and has expanded to reach a wider range of important people who just want financial assistance to fulfill their educational and professional dreams, and helping others along the way.  Please lend a hand up.

My daughter was 15-months old, and I was passionate about my job as a Police Officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, when my life radically changed after I was shot and paralyzed from the chest down during a foot pursuit of a robbery suspect.  The injury impacted virtually every aspect of my life.  

Swim with Mike has provided possibility for myself and so many others, offering opportunity through education. Because of  your  generous donations in support of  Swim with Mike, I will graduate this May 2019 from USC with my Masters of Social Work!  

Please help continue this support! By making a donation you can help change the lives of others, who encounter sudden life-changing spinal cord injuries.  Your support can provide valuable education and opportunity for so many.  Even the smallest donation helps.  Help support Swim with Mike!

Growing up as an athlete, pursuing a sports scholarship for college was always part of my plan. When I was 16 years old I was a passenger in a rollover car accident and I sustained a spinal cord injury at T10 leaving me paralyzed below my waist. In the months and years that followed my accident, all my future plans were brought into question. I began to wonder what affording college would look like without an athletic scholarship. That's when I found Swim With Mike. Swim With Mike became a light for me in what seemed like a dark tunnel. This organization has not only helped me fund my college education, but has also introduced me to the most amazing people, board members and recipients alike. Having the opportunity to help Swim with Mike raise money for this years events allows me to help this great organization continue to be a light for other athletes like me.

Leila is excited to jump off her unicorn to raise money for Swim With Mike. She loves that 100% of the money she raises goes directly to scholarships for physically challenged athletes. 💕🏊🏼‍♀️

Hi all!

Swim With Mike has been a huge part of my life. After I was injured in a car accident in 2002 WHILE attending USC, SWM made it possible for me to return and finish school. Later, SWM made it possible for me to attain a Masters of Social Work at University of Denver, and to be the first wheelchair user to ever graduate with an MFA in Acting from UC San Diego!! 

I am now a professional actor, director, writer, and Artistic Director of Phamaly Theatre Company in Denver...one of the country's only professional theatres that exclusively casts actors with all nature of disabilities. 

Thanks to Swim With Mike for making my artistic career possible!!! :-)

I have been involved with Swim with Mike since I started at USC 13 yrs ago!  I have volunteered in many different aspects of the event.  This year Swim with Mike is a day before my birthday and  it would be nice if all my friends would make a donation for this great cause!  In case you don't know Swim with Mike raises money for scholarships for physically challenged athletes. Not only do the recipients attend USC, they also attend universities all over the country.  Please donate and also come down to the event on April 6, 2019 at USC!

As part of the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, we are passionate about helping others overcome physical challenges to reach their goals and love showing our support for the Swim with Mike event each year!

"This will be my third year participating in Swim with Mike. I was first introduced as a first-year PhD Student in the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy. I just signed up for the event because it sounded like fun. As I participated, I was inspired by the stories that were shared and the courage of the scholarship recipients to not let their physical disabilities inhibit them in pursuing the things they loved. To be able to participate in an event that can help them pursue their dreams is nothing short of amazing.

Our Division has close ties with Mike as our therapists helped him overcome his physical challenges. I had the pleasure of meeting him, an awesome guy and he gave an incredible Commencement Address for our Division in 2017! I look forward to supporting this event again this year!"

-Tim

As part of the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, we are passionate about helping others overcome physical challenges to reach their goals and love showing our support for the Swim with Mike event each year!

"This will be my third year participating in Swim with Mike. I was first introduced as a first-year PhD Student in the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy. I just signed up for the event because it sounded like fun. As I participated, I was inspired by the stories that were shared and the courage of the scholarship recipients to not let their physical disabilities inhibit them in pursuing the things they loved. To be able to participate in an event that can help them pursue their dreams is nothing short of amazing.

Our Division has close ties with Mike as our therapists helped him overcome his physical challenges. I had the pleasure of meeting him, an awesome guy and he gave an incredible Commencement Address for our Division in 2017! I look forward to supporting this event again this year!"

-Tim

As a C-4 & C-5 incomplete quadriplegic, I knew that I wanted to help others in situations similar to the ones that I've lived through. I am passionate about helping others and getting a degree in Social Work is an important goal. When I finished my undergrad, I knew I wanted to continue my education at the USC Masters of Social Work program; however, it didn’t seem possible due to financial constraints.  

After my application was accepted for admission into the program, I was fortunate to receive a generous scholarship from Swim With Mike. I didn't know if I would be able to attend USC for the masters in social work that I applied for, but the SWM family made my educational goals possible. They made it possible for me to attend one of the top social work programs in the country and work towards my goal. I am beyond grateful for all the support SWM has given me, and I hope to be able to help them raise funds to continue to support physically challenged athletes. 

Please help me give back to Swim With Mike through this campaign. 

Come grab a slice of pizza to support Swim with Mike from 11:00am-12:00pm and 2:00-3:00pm on March 27th outside of Fetitta hall! If you can't come grab a slice, no worries! You can still donate to this campaign :)

We chose this organization because we are all students of USC and understand what it is like to have to pay for tuition. For some athletes, their athletic ability and hard work is what is allowing them to attend the school that they are at. If an athlete gets injured and can no longer play his or her sport, he or she may no longer receive the athletic scholarship and thus not be able to afford to attend the university. This can really hurt athletes and seems to be unjust considering how much time and effort they have committed to their sport and team. So, Swim with Mike allows those athletes who suffer injuries continue to survive and thrive at their respective university.

Christy, Ellen and Stacey are NCL, Inc. Conejo Valley Chapter friends who want to extend their FIGHT ON Spirit of Troy to physically challenged athletes across the country.  After tragedy, getting back to education is getting back to life.  Education leads to independence.  Independence fosters self-worth.  Self-worth welcomes love!  Thanks in advance for participating in our campaign and FIGHT ON!

- Christy Wyatt, Ellen Burson and Stacey Stephens

Hi Friends!

It's Swim With Mike time again and it is Jake's last year at USC! It's been an amazing journey for him and he would not have had this opportunity without the scholarship from this foundation! This foundation gives disabled kids hope and the ability to get their degree and make their contribution to the world. Please donate anything you can. I'll be swimming 50 laps!

Thank you and much love and gratitude 

Cindy

I am raising money because I want to help provide students with scholarships so that they continue to pursue their dreams through college and after. Help me spread the word about Swim with Mike and the importance of higher education!!! Thanks!

In my second year at USC, I suffered a spinal cord injury and was forced to put my entire life on hold. Now, not only am I back for the third year, but am thriving in all aspects. I have a summer internship lined up and am planning a semester abroad. I am part of an adaptive pilates program near my hometown and still pushing myself as hard as ever. Being out and about around campus, Greek row, and downtown LA keeps me moving and motivated daily. I have been able to continue on at USC in large part due to Swim With Mike's support! 

Please donate to help others in my physical situation be able to keep pursuing their college ambitions!

I have been attending the Swim with Mike event almost all my life. 

When I was little, I started attending and going to the Kids Club while my parents worked at Registration.  When I learned to swim, I started getting in the pool. 

About 5 years ago, I  started raising my own money for this cause.

Please help me support this great Swim with Mike Family and their deserving recipients.

For over 25 years, I have been involved in this great fundraising event.   During those 25 years, I have had the opportunity to meet many of the recipients of Swim with Mike Scholarships.  These recipients are not only truly appreciative for the opportunity a Swim with Mike Scholarship provides them, but are determined to contribute to the organization to ensure that the next person in need is able to get a scholarship too!  A truly amazing group of people!

With your help, physically challenged athletes will be granted the financial resources and help to excel in today’s world.

Swim With Mike, founded 39 years ago, has provided hundreds of physically challenged athletes with scholarships to over 120 schools and has raised over $1 million--with the help of people exactly like you.

Mike Nyeholt, a decorated All American swimmer, suffered a broken neck in a motorcycle in the year 1981, and together with best friend and teammate, Ron Orr, they created an organization that relieves the burden and stress of university and college tuition for those with disabilities or injuries just like Mike. 39 years and 231 recipients later, your help can aid our next generation of students and many more. 

Your time, donation, and help are a vital part of Swim With Mike, and together, we can continue to help those in need.

Thank you,

Jonathan Jimenez

This year we were lucky enough to watch Zach graduate from USC in May.  Judy and I would like to personally thank all of the wonderful people involved with the Swim With Mike during the last 39 years.  This program changes lives, and that we witnessed first hand. 

In September we went to Hawaii to swim the 49th Waikiki Rough Water Swim. I was fortunate to swim with 2 SWM recipients. Both Zach and Darrell finished the 2.5 mile swim from Diamond Head to Waikiki and gave out the awards to the winners.  

At this years SWM in April I will swim the Masters challenge and do 3,900 yards in less then an hour for a fund raiser during that workout.  What I am hoping to get is $1 for every yards I swim.  That can be from 100 friends at $39 each or a few less friends with a little more donated.  This swim will be a warmup for the following week.  I will be swimming with the Chico Alumni Team Pacific Championships.  Our Goal at that event will be to break all 5 Pacific Masters Relay records and hopefully break a few National Records for our age group. 

If you would like to donate to this great cause just follow the directions on this page.       

The 39th annual Swim With Mike Event at USC is right around the corner on April 6th! Swim With Mike has given me the opportunity to go to and graduate from USC. I couldn't be more grateful for their generosity and support throughout the past 4 years. None of what I was able to accomplish would be possible without Swim with Mike and I am hoping to raise as much money as I can to give back to this great scholarship that supports over 60 other physically challenged athletes attend college. This event means a lot to me and those involved, so I hope that you will support my campaign and, of course, Fight On!

Living life with a disability presents endless amounts of challenges that I face each and every day. One of the biggest challenges that has a long term affect is finding employment in a field I am passionate about, as well as being able to successfully preform within the profession. For example I am passionate about construction, however due to my disability I am unable make a career out of it just based on work experience. But that doesn’t mean that the construction field is out of the question for me, and with the help of the Swim With Mike Foundation I have been given a chance to make that dream a reality. By being given the opportunity to go back to school to get a degree, I am able to use my education to make up for the things I may have missed out on from not being able to gain experience through working. It is because of the generous donations made to the Swim With Mike Foundation that have made it possible for me to have a shot at taking back some control of my life and my dreams. I am currently attending Metropolitan State University-Denver, going for a major in the Construction Management Program and minors in Nonprofit Studies as well as Spanish. I hope to one day be able to use these degrees to make a lasting impact on the lives of many others in need. 

As a 16-year-old, I was an avid athlete participating in basketball and softball at the varsity level. My life pretty much revolved around sports and I found myself not able to participate at the capacity that I once was. I sustained a spinal cord injury as the result of a car accident in 2003. As most of us know far too well, this injury significantly impacts not only the life of those affected but also the family and friends that we hold dear. I was introduced to Swim with Mike in 2010 when I was a undergraduate student at California State University, San Marcos, and a client at Project Walk in Carlsbad, CA.

Their financial support helped me to continue my education through a master’s degree and on to a PhD in Health and Human Performance. Pursuing a Ph.D. has always been a dream of mine and throughout my time instructing I have realized how beneficial this degree is to my ability to provide the best education to my students. Upon completion of this degree I know that I will be better equipped to serve in the capacity of a professor and continue to further research to aid in not only the athletic and exercise population but the spinal cord injury community as well. Swim with Mike has helped make this dream a reality as without the financial support from this amazing organization I would not be where I am today. 

Swim with Mike has and continues to provide financial support to hundreds of other individuals with physical disabilities so they, too, can reach their educational and career goals! Please consider contributing!

$22 million ~ 231 scholarship recipients ~ 122 universities ~ 39 years

Each and every day, I'm inspired by these who have overcome catastrophic accidents/illnesses to continue their education, and in so doing, serve as examples to us all. No matter how many reasons there might be, just never, ever quit.

The Alpha Psi chapter of Alpha Delta Pi at USC is raising money and support for the Swim with Mike foundation. Please donate to provide scholarships and financial resources to physically challenged athletes to overcome tragedies and realize their full potential. 

I love to swim and Swim with Mike is a wonderful platform to raise people us and help them to do their best.  The entire vibe of Swim with Mike is inspiring, hopeful and joyful.  Let us help one another.

Growing up sports was one of the biggest parts of my life as I played baseball, basketball, hockey, lacrosse and mountain biked. About three years ago I lost my central vision to a rare genetic disorder called Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy causing me to become legally blind. This completely changed my life and forced me to find new ways to do everything in life such as school, sports, and so much more. One of the biggest goals with a disability is independence and one of the biggest catalysts to my independence has been through Swim With Mike. This scholarship has empowered me to attain an education that will equip me to be the best I can when pursuing a career and not have the burden of paying for it. I am pursing a major in Marketing and a minor in Spanish at California State University San Marcos. Swim With Mike is so much more than a scholarship as the community and other recipients have inspired me and pushed me to continue to achieve my goals in sports, and I now play on the US Blind Hockey Team. Please help support my campaign to help impact and changes more lives the way Swim With Mike has helped change my life.

My name is Brooke Thabit and I am a Swim with Mike recipient. In the midst of my senior year of high school I dove off of a dock into water that was deceivingly too shallow. I broke my neck in three places and from that day forward became a quadriplegic. Before my spinal cord injury, I was a dedicated athlete and sponsored competitive surfer in the state of Florida. Today I am attending the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, GA; pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Interior design. My hope is to create beautiful and functional universal design. Spinal cord injuries add a large financial burden to a family, making attending college seemingly impossible. Without donations the Swim with Mike organization would not be possible, and the dream of attending college would be unattainable to so many young athletes who have suffered from injuries. Please consider donating to Swim With Mike so they can continue to help others!

     I am so excited to take this opportunity to share with my friends and family just how special and life-changing the Swim with Mike organization has been for me. I had participated sports from a young age,  and then after my freshman year of college, where I had been on the track and cross-country teams, I became paralyzed in an auto accident. After the accident, I continued with school, devoting more energy and effort than ever before into preparing myself to become a teacher. After completing my undergrad, I spoke to someone at USC about a scholarship I had heard about that was specifically for athletes who had sustained life-altering injuries.

     I applied to USC’s teaching credential/master’s program, was accepted, and then I applied for the Swim with Mike scholarship. What an overwhelming blessing it was, to be offered a scholarship to attend an incredible school with one of the best teaching programs in the nation. I began at USC in 2009 where I earned my teaching credential and master's in teaching.  After graduation, I was given the opportunity to start a new branch of a charter school that caters to underserved, at-risk students. I worked there as the learning center director and teacher for three years, mentored other new teachers, and worked to motivate and engage my students each day.  Having my own classroom and the opportunities I had to grow as an educator was a dream come true!  

     Shortly after graduation, I met Matthew. He is an all-around wonderful, family-man kind of guy. We hit it off right away, dated, got married, and then just before our first anniversary we found out we were going to have a baby. With the birth of our first child, I came home to be with our new baby girl.  What has become apparent to me during the last five years that I have been home is that the opportunity to study in such a rigorous teaching program, not only helped me develop as a teacher, but it has also given me confidence in my capacity to do hard things, and, at this time in my life, it has influenced the way I spend time each day nurturing our three children.  

     As a mom of three young and bright kids (Clara 5, Michael 3, Juliana 1), we love to spend time each day reading, exploring, playing, challenging ourselves, and learning together.  It's a sweet time in my life with our children, and I am grateful for the manner in which the rigorous teaching program at USC paved the way and prepared me for the most important job I could be doing right now.

     The Swim with Mike scholarship program has done so much for me and for my family. I wouldn’t be who I am today without the opportunities it’s afforded me. Any donation given to the Swim with Mike Scholarship fundraiser will provide means for another recipient to receive a great education and pave the way for their dreams to come true.

Schedule of Events

Please help USC Alpha Phi raise money to provide financial resources for advanced education that pave the way for physically challenged athletes to overcome their tragedies and realize their full potential.  Any donation is greatly appreciated! 

We want to be a part of the ripple effect that splashes positivity into someone's life! 

After sustaining a cervical spinal cord injury in December 2002, Swim with Mike was instrumental in my life by supporting me during Chemical Engineering programs in undergrad at Bucknell University and grad school at UT-Austin. With the many challenges imposed by such a life-changing injury, the financial support from SWM helped me to reach my educational goals. I subsequently landed a rewarding job in the Oil Refining industry as a chemical engineer in Research & Development.

In seven years of employment in Oklahoma, I have had the opportunity to apply process modeling that I learned at Bucknell and UT. I continued in the area of my dissertation with CO2 Capture technology development, and I branched into classic ChemE with optimization and model development for current refinery units. It's exciting to have landed a job that was in my pre-injury life plan.

I recognize the important role that education has played in my life, and I’d love to continue to give back to aspiring college students with physical disabilities. Please help me contribute to the amazing students that Swim with Mike supports!

After sustaining a cervical spinal cord injury in December 2002, Swim with Mike was instrumental in my life by supporting me during Chemical Engineering programs in undergrad at Bucknell University and grad school at UT-Austin. With the many challenges imposed by such a life-changing injury, the financial support from SWM helped me to reach my educational goals. I subsequently landed a rewarding job in the Oil Refining industry as a chemical engineer in Research & Development.

In seven years of employment in Oklahoma, I have had the opportunity to apply process modeling that I learned at Bucknell and UT. I continued in the area of my dissertation with CO2 Capture technology development, and I branched into classic ChemE with optimization and model development for current refinery units. It's exciting to have landed a job that was in my pre-injury life plan.

I recognize the important role that education has played in my life, and I’d love to continue to give back to aspiring college students with physical disabilities. Please help me contribute to the amazing students that Swim with Mike supports!

Hi all!!!

I am Carrie and my mom Linda and I are swimming and raising money for the physically challenged athlete scholarship fund with Swim with Mike!! We first learned about Swim with Mike through Daryl Holmund (my brother) who is a past recipient of the scholarship at both CSU and USC for his Masters in teaching. We have both been donating to SWM for almost a decade.  

I am super excited because this is my first year participating in the swim, my goal is to swim a mile!  

This is an amazing organization, we are super thankful for the support they offer and for this chance to support them!  Join us:)

I am raising money for Swim with Mike because of their financial support in helping people with disabilities obtain an education. The SWM organization has given many students the support and guidance needed to move forward with their educational plans while minimizing the crushing student debt that often ensues. This pursuit is important to me as a recipient and on principle. I hope you can join us on this journey, as a supporter and a friend.

Hello,

Please, help Swim With Mike provide a means for athletes with disabilities to stay off the sidelines and in the game!

Your contribution, big or small, is very appreciated!

Thanks!

The 39th Annual Swim With Mike is coming up on April 6th! This selfless organization paid for my entire education at USC and has continued to grow, sending hundreds of other physically disabled athletes to universities across the country. Swim With Mike changed my life and I'll never be able to pay them back, but each year I try to raise some money and awareness for this great cause. Any small donation goes a long way toward giving physically disabled athletes the opportunity to pursue a future and keep it pushing. So please help us spread the word and join us on April 6th at USC, as well as several other Swim With Mike events coming up at other universities. 

We love raising money for the recipients of SWM. What a great organization that has helped over 200 physically challenged athletes meet their higher education goals. Way to go team!

Annie Ruth and I so appreciate you supporting our campaign!!!

Fight on!

Annie and EW

Swim with Mike\'s mission is to provide financial resources for athletes who have overcome life changing accidents. Hundreds of volunteers from across the world work with the foundation. In 38 years, Swim with Mike has raised over $21 million and has supported 231 college scholarships. Ten of the current scholarship recipients attend USC, with two being part of the Greek community. Through Swim with Mike, these students have been able to continue on and thrive at USC.

Please donate to help others who have suffered from an unexpected accident continue their college education!