The Northeastern’s women’s swim and dive team set a fundraising record Sept. 7 while participating in the fifteenth annual Swim Across America fundraising event at Roger Wheeler State Beach in Narragansett, Rhode Island. At the event, the Huskies raised a personal team record of more than $19,000, the third-most amount of money of the 35 participating organizations.
Swim Across America, or SAA, is a nationwide fundraiser that takes place each year to raise money for cancer research. The Narragansett event is an open water swim and offered athletes the option to swim one mile, half a mile or a quarter mile, as well as a youth event. The event started early on Roger Wheeler Beach —swimmer check-in started at 8 a.m., and the celebration ceremony, where cancer survivors, physicians and event organizers spoke began at 9 a.m.. By 10:15 a.m., the first athletes were off.
Led by this season’s captains — senior swimmer Devon Muldoon, junior swimmer Elisabeth Bendall and senior diver Isabella Chambers — as well as head coach Roy Coates, Northeastern surpassed its previous fundraising record, from this event in 2022, by more than $3,000. In addition, the Huskies notched the third-most of any team at the event and ranked in the top ten fundraisers nationally amongst collegiate swim and dive teams.
The money from the event — $280,000 accumulated from over 800 participants — will go towards advancing cancer research at the Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island. Since the Rhode Island event started in 2010, SAA has raised more than $2.5 million for the hospital, which helped researchers in the Center for Women’s Oncology for Biomarkers and Emerging Technology discover a biomarker for ovarian cancer, according to the hospital’s website. This biomarker is now used worldwide to test for ovarian cancer.
The Huskies emphasized their gratitude for getting to participate in this special event.
“The feeling at Swim Across America is just a lot of energy because [there are] so many different college teams that just come together for such a great cause,” Chambers said. “[The swim] really just brings everyone together. The feeling on the beach is electric.”
Muldoon echoed her sentiment, highlighting the importance of the cause.
“It is just such an impactful event and a really great way to start off the season,” she said. “It is really powerful to be gathered there on the beach before the swim to hear from the cancer survivors [and doctors] that we are helping.”
Coates said the tradition is a great way to start the season.
“To do something really good for such a great cause and also have [the team] bond, and have fun with all the other college athletes that are there is so special,” Coates said. He added that the team bonding in addition to the cause SAA supports is a big reason the team has kept going back for more than a decade.
“I have to give our captains all the credit for Swim Across America. I run a lot of things, but this is all the captains,” Coates said, referencing the hard work and dedication behind the scenes that the leaders of the team put in to reach its fundraising record.
The fundraising efforts were led by Chambers, who single-handedly raised almost $11,500 in honor of her family members who have fought cancer. Not only was Chambers the top fundraiser from Northeastern swim and dive, but she was one of the top five college athlete fundraisers nationally.
“The swim is so special to me. The community it creates and the cause that it supports is excellent. [This swim] specifically supports women’s health, which is something that is very important to me,” said Chambers. “Everyone has lost someone or knows someone who fought cancer, so I think that a lot of people can understand the cause.”
Another significant fundraiser was freshman Peyton Knightly, who raised nearly $1,200 for cancer research ahead of her first season on the team.
This event kicked off the season for the swim and dive team in the wake of their successful season last year. In the 2023-2024 season, the team went 5-1 and placed 4th at the CAA championships. The Huskies hope to continue that momentum this season.
“We are always looking to improve. Our mission is to try and win the conference [championship], to win all our dual meets — that is always our goal.” Coates said. He said he looks forward to a season competing against many of the best teams in the area in addition to the CAA conference.
“Having this successful event is kind of just a foreshadow of what the rest of the season could be,” said Muldoon. “It sets a really positive and exciting tone for what is to come.”
The Huskies will be back in action Saturday, Sept. 21st at 9 am with the Black and Red intrasquad meet at Barletta Natatorium.
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