Last year I completed my 1st 5k swim in support of the annual Swim With A Mission event. I am excited to be participating in the 4th Annual Swim With A Mission again this year. It may have changed to a Virtual Event due to COVID-19 but I still need your help. I will be completing my 5K swim in Newfound Lake during the month of July. Please help me reach my fundraising goal of $1,000.00. Any amount will make a difference in the lives of Veterans and their families. The money that is raised will go to worthy Veteran service organizations both locally and nationally. Go to www.swimwithamission.org to learn more about the organizations that Swim With A Mission supports. Since 2017 Swim With A Mission has raised over $2 million for Veterans through a variety of events including this swim event.
New this year, all participants will be paired with a fallen soldier (since 2001) from NH. I will be using this as inspiration for completing my virtual event. Please support my fundraising goal in honor of this fallen soldier and for all Veterans.
I have been paired with US Navy Seal Chief Petty Officer Nathan Hardy from Durham, NH who was killed in action on February 4, 2008 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. I did not know Nathan but have begun to learn about his life. Nathan wrote a school paper in 6th Grade stating that he was going to become a Navy Seal. He was an athlete in high school playing both soccer and lacrosse for Oyster River High School. Nathan was a 1997 graduate of Oyster River HS and enlisted in the Navy 5 months after graduating. He became a Navy Seal in BUD/S class 221 and served 4 tours of duty. Not only was he a Navy Seal, he was a member of SEAL Team 6.
He was a Brother to Ben & Josh, a husband marrying Mindi Buck in 2005 and became a Father in July 2007 to his Son Parker. Nathan received 2 Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and a Defense Meritorous Service Medal among many others. If you have ever been to Seacoast United Center in Epping, NH there is a monument in memory of Nathan as he played soccer for Seacoast United. Nathan is burried in Arlington National Cemetery.
I will use Nathan's story to keep me motivated as I train to complete another 5K Swim. I will keep Nathan's memory alive by sharing what I know of his story and what I will learn of his story.
Thank you in advance for your support and thank you for joining the mission for our Veterans! I sincerely appreciate your support for this fundraiser and my goal. You can donate now by clicking "Give Now" in the upper right corner.
Swim With A Mission
The 4th Annual Swim With A Mission, an Open Water Swim Race and Festival was scheduled for Saturday, July 11th at Wellington State Park in Bristol NH. Unfortunately due to COVID-19 we have shifted our event to a Virtual Event. We would much rather have our live event and are disappointed about the change but we know that it is necessary at this point. Even in these tough times, we hope you will help us stay true to our mission to raise money to help Veterans and inspire others to help.
Virtual Events are open to everyone and will take place from July 1-31. Participants can choose to swim (1K, 5K or 10K), paddle (1K, 5K or 10K) or take on the SEAL Team NH Challenge. All participants are encouraged to raise funds that will go to our Veterans who need our help more than ever. Swimmers can also choose to swim more than once during the month of July and they will be able to record distances and times. Go to www.swimwithamission.org for more details.
Since our formation in 2017, we have donated over $8 million to honor and support local, regional and national veteran support organizations that provide critical services to our Veterans. These include supporting Veteran organizations that provide housing, take care of our homeless, support day to day services, provide service and support K-9’s, scholarships, jobs, create equine immersion programs and support art programs. Please explore www.swam.org to get more details about how you can get involved with us and our mission.