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Swim Strong x Take the Doughnut: Meet Howie Sanborn

Seven months after a bike accident left him with a spinal cord injury, Howie Sanborn raced paratriathlon for the first time, through Chicago's Dare2tri program. A wheelchair failure mid-race in Paris didn't slow him down for long — he's since rebuilt his training setup at home, down to a 300-square-foot strength and conditioning shed currently under construction. But the part of his Journey to LA interview worth thinking about is what he says when a  young athlete asks him how to...

September 6, 2026Blog, VideosComments OffRead more...

Motion, Community, and Water Safety: Recapping the Elite Amenity 5K

On June 27, runners and walkers gathered at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park for the Elite Amenity 5K, hosted by Elite Amenity Management in support of Swim Strong Foundation. It was a morning built around movement, community, and purpose — and the energy on the course showed it. Fitness and water safety, hand in hand One thing came up again and again when we spoke with participants after the race: running and swimming aren't separate pursuits — they build on each other. Several runners...

August 12, 202620th Anniversary, Articles, Blog, Events, VideosComments OffRead more...

Five Years Later: Ed Accura Returns With a New Message on Water Safety

Five years ago, at Swim Strong Foundation's 15th Anniversary celebration, filmmaker and water safety advocate Ed Accura stood up and shared a few words about the road ahead. Ed — the producer behind "Blacks Can't Swim" and co-founder of the Black Swim Association in the UK — had spent years working to shift how his community talks about swimming, fear, and the water. That night, he told us: “Working with organizations like Swim Strong Foundation has made it possible for us to...

August 11, 202615th Anniversary, 20th Anniversary, Articles, Blog, VideosComments OffRead more...

We Do Good… Together: A Thank You Twenty Years in the Making

Twenty years ago, Swim Strong Foundation opened its doors with a simple but powerful belief — that every person in New York City deserves to feel safe in, on, and around water. Not just children from well-resourced families. Everyone. That belief hasn't changed. What has changed is the number of people who decided to be part of making it real. This is a thank you to all of them. Building a program that has reached 135,000+ students through Know Before You Go!®...

August 10, 202620th Anniversary, Articles, Blog, VideosComments OffRead more...

Lace Up and Make a Difference: Join the Elite Amenity 5K Run Benefiting Swim Strong Foundation

Lace up your running shoes and be part of something bigger than the finish line. The Elite Amenity 5K Run is a fun and inspiring community race — and this year, every step you take benefits Swim Strong Foundation's life-saving mission. Whether you run, walk, or cheer from the sidelines, your participation helps expand access to essential water safety education, affordable swim instruction, and drowning prevention programs right here in New York City. Why This Race Matters Water safety isn't just about knowing...

June 5, 202620th Anniversary, Articles, Blog, EventsComments OffRead more...
Senator Kevin S. Parker presents a New York State Legislative Resolution to members of the Eta Nu Sigma Brooklyn Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. at WaterPalooza 26, held at Bushwick Campus on May 30, 2026.

Water Safety Takes Center Stage: Swim Strong Foundation at WaterPalooza 26

On Saturday, May 30, 2026, Swim Strong Foundation joined the Eta Nu Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. for WaterPalooza 26 — a free, community-wide water safety and swim clinic event held at the Brooklyn School for Social Justice, Bushwick Campus. Presented in partnership with the Seven Roses Legacy Foundation and New York State Senator Kevin S. Parker, the event brought together families, young swimmers, community leaders, and water safety advocates for a day that was equal parts...

June 5, 2026Articles, Blog, EventsComments OffRead more...

Shawn Slevin on NY1: What Families Need to Know as Beach Season Opens

Swim Strong Foundation founder and Executive Director Shawn Slevin joined NY1 anchor Rocco Vertuccio on News All Day this week to talk water safety as New York City beaches officially opened for the 2026 season. It's a conversation worth having every year — and this year, it's especially timely. Storm weather greeted the start of beach season, bringing rough surf, high rip current warnings, and a reminder that the water doesn't follow a calendar. Watch the full interview on NY1 → Why storm...

May 25, 2026Blog, PSAs, Swim Strong in The NewsComments OffRead more...
Swim Strong Foundation Giving Tuesday graphic — photo collage of swim instruction across NYC pools with text "This is Water Safety Month. We're showing up, across NYC." 20th anniversary campaign.

Swim Strong Foundation Kicks Off Water Safety Month with Two Free NYC Events and Raffle

May is National Water Safety Month — and Swim Strong Foundation is bringing the mission directly to your neighborhood. This week, we’re partnering with two chapters of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. to host two free community events in Queens and Manhattan. Free swim lessons. Know Before You Go!® water safety education. CPR training. Games. Prizes. No cost to attend. Here’s everything you need to know — and how to sign up. EVENT 1: Swim 1922 in Queens — Wednesday, May 13 When...

May 11, 2026Blog, EventsComments OffRead more...
Photo by David Dibert from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/olympic-and-paralympic-symbols-in-cortina-d-ampezzo-30100582/

“Il Mondo” — The World Is Water: What the Olympics Closing Ceremony Reminded Us All

On February 22, 2026, the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics came to a close inside the ancient Verona Arena — an amphitheater built in 30 AD that has witnessed two thousand years of human storytelling. But the moment that stopped the world that night wasn't about ice or snow. It was about water. Watch Video Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wjTiQFFr6Q In a segment titled "The Water Cycle," the ceremony paid a stunning tribute to Italy's relationship with water — from the glaciers of the Dolomites flowing down...

March 10, 2026Blog, VideosComments OffRead more...

Revisiting a Powerful Conversation for Black History Month | Full SJU Panel + Screening of “A Film Called Blacks Can’t Swim”

Revisiting a Powerful Conversation for Black History Month | Full SJU Panel + Screening of “A Film Called Blacks Can’t Swim” This Black History Month, we’re going back to a conversation that stayed with us — a panel discussion hosted at Saint John’s University that brought together our founder Shawn Slevin, board-certified psychiatrist and U.S. Navy Commander Dr. Sudhir Gadh, and Dominican Republic 2016 Rio Olympian Jhonny José Pérez Peña for a screening of A Film Called Blacks Can’t Swim. We’ve revisited...

February 28, 2026Blog, VideosComments OffRead more...

What Happens When You Fall Through the Ice? A Real-Time Rescue Demonstration

Every winter, people walk onto frozen lakes, rivers, and ponds — ice fishermen, snowmobilers, hikers, kids taking shortcuts. Most never think about what happens if the ice gives way beneath them. This video does. Adam from Pike Pole Fishing did something most people would never volunteer for: he fell through the ice on purpose, in real time, without a drysuit, in ten feet of water — with the Edgerton Fire Department standing by. The result is one of the most honest...

February 26, 2026Blog, PSAs, VideosComments OffRead more...