Swim Brothers Joe and John Zemaitis to Swim in All 50 States in 30 Days

Swim Brothers Joe and John Zemaitis on July 20 started a swim-a-thon visiting all 50 states in 30 days to swim 10 kilometers in each. The effort will raise money for the USA Swimming Foundation in an effort to promote water safety and drowning prevention and provide access to open-water swimming across the country.

The adventure started in Hawaii on July 20. From there, they flew to Big Lake in Anchorage, Alaska. The brothers and their support crew then piled into an RV to start their road trip across the United States. Yesterday in Massachusetts, Joe and John completed swim number 25, officially marking the halfway point. Some eventful moments from their journey include having to re-do their swim in Minnesota due to lightening, overcoming harsh water conditions in Lake Erie, Pennsylvania, giving gas to a stranded driver and „crashing” a family reunion to finish on private property in Montana. They plan to complete their last swim in Arizona in mid-August.

“For thirty-five years I’ve been involved with USA Swimming as a swimmer and as a coach,” Joe Zemaitis said in a press release. “To partner with the USA Swimming Foundation to spread the message of Saving Lives and Building Champions as we go across the United States swimming a marathon in all 50 states will be the trip of a lifetime. For nearly 20 years, I’ve been challenging swimmers I coach in Arizona at Swim Neptune to set challenging goals, train hard and fearlessly pursue their dreams. I’m getting the chance to do just that with our upcoming adventure.”

Both Zemaitis brothers are distinguished open water swimmers. Joe, the head coach and owner of Arizona-based Swim Neptune, has swum the most documented open water miles in the world since 2018. They’ve combined to be nominated three times for Open Water Swimming Man of the Year. Both have swum the English Channel, a double circumnavigation of Manhattan, Loch Ness and the Seas of Galilee. John, a standout swimmer at Arizona State, worked for 12 years as a contractor for Chevron in Nigeria.

To support the USA Swimming Foundation, the brothers have a goal of raising $10,000 through donations. To support or donate to the Swim Brothers Ultimate Swim-A-Thon, please visit https://give.usaswimming.org/campaign/ultimate-swim-a-thon/c412191.

You can follow their exploits on Instagram @SwimBrothersUSA.

“The USA Swimming Foundation is grateful for Joe and John’s incredible generosity and their commitment to water safety and drowning prevention,” said Lucinda McRoberts, Executive Director of the USA Swimming Foundation. “We are excited to follow their journey and cheer on their progress.”