Swim With Mike News & Blog


Recipient Feature: Jake Robinson

Semester At Sea Feature on Swim With Mike recipient Jake Robinson

Click the link to the right to see the full video

Changing Perspectives: Jake Robinson

Click the link above to check out this inspiring feature on Swim With Mike recipient Jake Robinson!

Jake Robinson, a biological sciences senior at the University of California San Diego, has overcome a lot in the past few years. After a car accident left him with a spinal cord injury four years ago, Robinson never thought studying abroad was a possibility.

With the help and support of his childhood friend, Brett Rasmussen, also a biological sciences senior at the University of California San Diego and an SAS student, Robinson is now traveling the world with Semester at Sea and loving every minute of it.

Watch this inspiring video about one student’s journey on Semester at Sea, and his visit to the Focos Hospital in Ghana, which helped him redefine the differences and similarities that make us all beautiful.

For more information regarding individual involvement check out the Participation section of our website ( http://swimwithmike.org/participate/ )

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43rd Annual Waikiki Roughwater Swim

SWM’s very own Kaia Hedlund sat down with KITV news and SWM scholarship recipient Joe Brock to discuss the 43rd Annual Waikiki Roughwater Swim on September 2 in Waikiki, Hawaii, as well as the impact that SWM has on its recipients and the community at large. Click the link below to view the video.

KITV Interview

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SWM USC: Rain or Shine!

Current weather reports predict clear skies for the rest of today, but just in case you were wondering, the 32nd Annual Swim With Mike at USC will go on–rain or shine!

Click here for all event information.

Can’t make it? Click here to make a donation to the Physically Challenged Atheletes Scholarship Fund.

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Event Preview: 3rd Annual Swim With Mike Cal

Recipients at SWM Cal 2011

Date: April 21, 2013
Time: 2pm-4pm

Location: Spieker Aquatics Complex at the University of California, Berkeley

Organizer: Austin Whitney, Cal Graduate and 3 year SWM scholarship recipient, Mike Sample, 2010 Cal graduate and Cal water polo player and Kie Fujii, first year scholarship recipient. Also involved is the BEAR SAAC made up of Cal student-athlete leaders from all Cal Varsity Teams.

Event Details: Tod Spieker has generously offered to match each dollar raised at Swim With Mike – Cal. Spieker was an All-American swimmer at UCLA, competing from 1968-1971, and continues to successfully compete in Master’s Swimming. The Spieker Aquatics Center at Cal is named for former Cal water polo letterman Edward “Ned” Spieker, (Tod’s brother) who provided major funding for the facility.

The 2011 and 2012 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championship Swimming and Diving Teams will be participating as well as the 2010 NCAA Runners up and 2006 and 2007 NCAA Champions Cal Men’s Water Polo Team.  The Women’s Water Polo team in preparation for the MPSF Championship will also be on hand to lend support.

Everyone is encouraged to participate in the Swim-A-Thon or to support the Physically Challenged Athlete Scholarship Fund with a tax deductable donation in any amount.

Swimmers are encouraged to enter the Masters Challenge to double their sponsorships and be entered to win great prizes such as a trip to Honolulu for the 43rd Annual Waikiki Roughwater Swim.

Support Cal by supporting Swim With Mike.

Click here to download the Cal Sponsor Sheet

Cant’ make it? Click here to make a donation to the Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund.

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“Watch With Mike”- SWM Videos

Get ready for Saturday’s 32nd Annual Swim With Mike at USC by watching these inspiring videos!

Swim With Mike USC Promotional Video- Thanks to Matt Hunter of Hunter Communications!

Trojans Who Fight On: Mike Fritschner

Sink or Swim: The Matt Oka Story

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USC Athletics Moving Sale & Football Spring Game Combo Ticket

Lane Kiffin, his son Knox, and Mike Nyeholt

If you’re a fan of USC Athletics and Trojan Football, there’s no better way to show it than by supporting Swim With Mike! Check out these great opportunities for Trojan fans at the 32nd Annual Swim With Mike.

USC Athletics Moving Sale- 9AM-Noon, Howard Jones Field- The athletic department is moving into the new McKay Center this fall and everything must go! Come purchase both used and brand new items from many of the men’s and women’s teams. Proceeds benefit SWM & the USC Family of Schools. Items include approximately 300 football jerseys, soccer shorts and jerseys, high-end long sleeve workout shirts, shoes, golf equipment and more.

USC Football Spring Game Combo Ticket- Purchase at the front gate of SWM-Save money with this package deal! For $20 you can enjoy SWM’s famous barbecue lunch and get free entry into the Spring Game.

Song Girl/Student-Athlete Relay Races- 10:30 – 11AM- See student athletes from football, water polo and more support Swim With Mike as they push inner tube’d Song Girls across the water. Also check out “Swim Lacrosse the Pool,” where the Lacrosse team will race using their equipment as paddles.

Pool Deck Performances- starting at 10:30 AM- See Trojan favorites perform such as the USC “Spirit of Troy” Trojan Marching Band, World Famous USC Song Girls, and Trojan Dance Force. Cheer on the USC Spirit Leaders as they finish up swimming thousands of laps in the annual Yell Leader Challenge. Also, you might catch USC mascot Traveler on neighboring Howard Jones Field throughout the day.

Silent Auction- Don’t miss your chance to bid on many USC and USC athletic-related items–including autographed memorabilia from Trojan greats, past and present! Click here for the full list of items.

See you there, Trojans! Fight On!

Can’t make it? Donate now to support the Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund.

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Event Preview: 33rd Annual SWM at USC

USC Song Girls awaiting the Football & Song Girl Relay

Date: April 13, 2013
Time: 8am-3pm
Place: Howard Jones Field

Bring your family and friends to our flagship event at the University of Southern California. The main ceremony and presentation begin at 11 AM on Howard Jones Field. Admission and parking are free. Here’s a preview of some of the special events and attractions that occur alongside the swimming. Exact times and details subject to change.
Event Features:
• Silent auction and raffle
• “Treasure Chest” merchandise area
• Barbecue: $15 (free for participants raising $50+)
• Kid’s Corner and Dive Show
• Belly Flop Contest and Massage Tent
Participant Incentives
Raise $50 for a mini goodie bag & barbecue ticket. Incentives for levels above $100 include items such as: t-shirt, goodie bag, sweatshirts, collector’s mug, beach towel and other icnentive gifts.
Masters and Olympian Swim Clinics and Workouts
Minimum donation and other eligibility requirements must be met for participation
Song Girl/Student-Athlete Relay Races
See student athletes from football, water polo and more support Swim With Mike as they push inner tube’d Song Girls across the water
Howard Jones Field Performances
Starting at 10:30 AM- See Trojan favorites perform such as the USC “Spirit of Troy” Trojan Marching Band, World Famous USC Song Girls, and Trojan Dance Force. Cheer on the USC Spirit Leaders as they finish up swimming thousands of laps in the annual Yell Leader Challenge. Also, you might catch USC mascot Traveler on neighboring Howard Jones Field throughout the day.
Silent Auction
Don’t miss your chance to bid on many USC and USC athletic-related items, including autographed memorabilia from Trojan greats, past and present!  Full list of items coming soon.  See you there!

Can’t make it? Make a donation now to support the Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund.

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Have You Seen a SWM Billboard?

one of the 2011 billboards

Has your commute been brightened by one of our Swim With Mike billboards this year?

Brian Kennedy and Regency Outdoor advertising have generously provided and donated 10 billboards each year for more than 10 years.

Where have you seen a SWM billboard? Let us know in the comments below, or snap a picture and post it on our Facebook wall–but drive carefully!

Click here to ‘like’ us on Facebook or post a photo

Click here to make a donation to Swim With Mike

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“Eat With Mike” Food Truck Fundraiser

"Rajas" Fries

USC students can work up quite an appetite with all that hard studying they do on Thursday nights! Satisfy your hunger AND support Swim With Mike by eating at the Frysmith truck on Thursday, April 12 from 10:30 PM to 1 AM. The gourmet french fry truck will be parked outside of the Sigma Nu Fraternity house on The Row (28th Street). Frysmith will donate 10% of that night’s proceeds to Swim With Mike!

One of the most highly sought-out trucks in the Los Angeles food truck scene, Frysmith serves delicious french fries with generous toppings for everyone from meat lovers to vegans. You don’t want to miss this fun and tasty opportunity!

Can’t make it? Click here to make a donation to the Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund.

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Silent Auction Preview

Get those bids ready! Here’s a preview of the many spectacular items you could get at the 32nd Annual Swim With Mike at USC!

Viking River Cruises

And for the first time we are proud to offer a $10,000 credit from Viking River Cruises! Go on a European River Cruise in 2013! (some restriction apply). Don’t miss this amazing opportunity!

(Visit the silent auction area at Swim With Mike for full details and restrictions on some items and packages. All offerings subject to change.)

Can’t make it? Donate now to support the Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund.

AMUSEMENT/MUSEUMS
AMC Movie Tickets
Aquarium of the Pacific
Bowers Museum & Kidseum
CBS Tickets to The Late Show with Craig Ferguson
CBS Tickets to Two and A Half Men
Disneyland
Dr. Phil Show VIP tickets
Fiesta of the Spanish Horse & 20” x 26” painting of Traveler/Conquest
Hearst Castle and National Geographic Theater
Huntington Library
Knott’s Berry Farm
Legoland & Sea Life Aquarium
Palm Spring Aerial Tramway
Peterson Automotive Museum
Price Is Right tickets & gift basket including Drew Carey autographed picture
Ronald Reagan Library and book
SeaWorld
Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno tickets and gifts
Universal Studios Hollywood
Warner Bros Studio VIP Studio

GOLF
Calabasas Country Club
Country Club at Soboba Springs
DC Golf (Eaton Canyon or Altadena Golf Course)
Sahalee Country Club (Sammanish, WA)
The Links at Summerly (Lake Elsinore)
Sycuan Golf
Virginia Country Club

HOTELS
Fairfield Inn by Marriott Anaheim Disneyland Resort
Four Seasons Hotel LA in Beverly Hills
The Georgian
Grand Del Mar  (San Diego)
Hard Rock (San Diego)
Hyatt Grand Champions (Indian Wells)
La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club
La Quinta Resort & Spa
Marriott Anaheim
Marriott Burbank Airport
Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club
Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa
Red Rock (Las Vegas)-2 night weekend getaway in 1 bedroom signature suite w/ dinner for 2 at
Terra Rossa & dinner for 2 at T-Bones Chophouse & 2 spa treatments.
Renaissance (Hollywood)
Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino (Laughlin)
Rosarito Beach (Mexico)
Shadow Mountain Resort & Club-Palm Desert
Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown
St. Regis (Monarch Beach)
Waterfront Beach Resort (Hilton)
Westgate (San Diego)

JEWELRY
14 k gold link bracelet
Pendant-heart/small diamond/emerald
Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelry
USC Band jewelry
Westime

MISCELLANEOUS
AAA Petal Pushers
Commemorative and collectible USC mugs, sports equipment, frames, license plates and more
Art for the Soul glasses
Crown Pacific Dental Arts (Mark Montgomery, DDS)
Dance Doctor (Santa Monica)
USC Health Center First Aid Kit
Divat Salon- Keratin Treatment
Robert Holton Drizzle Pictures
Epson Stylus NX 430-Small-in-one print/copy/scan/photo &Wi-Fi
Furkioti, Dean, DDS-Teeth Whitening Custom Tray Home Bleaching System
Paramount Studios gift basket
USC bike
Landscape Rescue
Laser Institute of Dermatology
USC quilt
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department-Boat Ride-Along Certificate
Norman, Merle Cosmetics gift basket
OPI Products, Inc.
Quick Crete Products
Gayle Garner Roski boxed prints and cookbook “Luscious”
Speakers
Trojan Canopy
Trojan Family Tapestry poster & book
Trojan Marching Band Robert Jensen print autographed by Dr. Arthur C. Bartner
20th Century Fox DVD gift basket
Fine Wine

PHOTOGRAPHY
Dan Avila photo shoot
Figge –family sitting & portrait
Sena Zimmer Photography potrait session
Picture with USC Song Girls
Picture with Traveler

RESTAURANTS
Angeleno Hotel
Auld Dubliner Irish Pub & Restaurant
Balboa Bay Club
Brent’s Deli
Dukes (Huntington Beach)
Five Crowns
Gus’s BBQ
Harbor Grill (Dana Point)
Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ
In-N-Out
King’s Seafood
La Traviata (Long Beach)
Lawry’s – The Prime Rib
Mastro’s Restaurant
McKay’s
Melting Pot (Brea)
Naples/Newport Rib Company
Pasta Roma Italiano
The Peninsula (Beverly Hills)
The Original Philippe’s
Picanha Churrascaria (Burbank)
The Ritz
Rush (Culver City)
Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana (Pasadena)
Smokehouse (Burbank)
Stevens Steak & Seafood House (Commerce) -
The Tam O’Shanter
Terranea Resort (Palos Verdes)
Trader Vics (LA Live)
Warehouse Restaurant

SPORTS – AUTOGRAPHED
Chad Billingsley – baseball
Milton Bradley – baseball
Travis Buck – baseball
Pete Carroll – football
Eric Dickerson – football
Andre Ethier – baseball
Mike Garrett – mini helmet & Heisman picture
Mike Gillespie – baseball
Pat Haden – helmet
Pat Haden & JK McKay – football
Tony Hawk – picture
Matt & Ryan Kalil – football
Chris Kaman – basketball
Eric Karros – Dodger jersey
Lane Kiffin – helmet & large Coliseum picture
Lane Kiffin & Monte Kiffin – football
Ronnie Lott – football & mini helmet
Don Mattingly – baseball
President Max Nikias – football
Lamar Odom – basketball
Ed Orgeron – football
Kevin O’Neill – basketball
Carson Palmer – helmet & football
Mike Piazza – Dodgers helmet; Dodgers jersey; bat; (non-game used); baseball
Albert Pujols – Angels hat; bat; All-Star base; baseball; Angels jersey
Jerry Rice – football
Alex Rodriguez – bat; baseball
Tim Salmon – baseball
Maria Sanchez – tennis racket
Mike Scifres – football (Chargers, #5)
Bill Sharman/Jerry West – basketball
Jeff Suppan – baseball
Kurt Suzuki baseball
Max Talbot – jersey (Flyers, #27)
Joey Votto – baseball
Charlie White – helmet & Heisman picture
Brian Wilson – baseball
Richard “Batman” Wood – mini football & helmet
John Wooden – Pyramid of Success

SPORTS – MISCELLANEOUS
USC Associates Picnics
USC Football Jerseys
IVANKO 3 lb. dumbells
Los Angeles Dodger ball basket – Don Mattingly; Andre Ethier & Chad Billingsley
Los Angeles Dodgers “Kids Take the Field” VIP Experience and other ticket packages
Los Angeles Galaxy tickets
Private tour for 5 of McKay Building before opening
Rose Bowl Aquatic Center ARC Learn to Swim Lessons during summer
Rose Bowl Game Suitcase 2012 suitcase gift basket
USA Swimming
USC Athletic attire

THEATRE
Candlelight Pavilion- dinner & show
Carpenter Center (CSULB)-2 passes to BALLET MEMPHIS
Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
Colony Theatre (Burbank)
Greek Theatre
Kirkorian Theatres annual pass
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
Roger Waters-concert at LA Coliseum
Medieval Times (Buena Park)

TRAVEL/RESORTS
Castaic Lake RV Park
$10,000.00 Cruise Credit Viking River Cruises (some restrictions apply)
The Gong, Bali Resort – 2 weeks
Grand Canyon Railroad
Kahana Reef – 5 nights in Kauai
Montrose Travel-Dine & Go (3-day/2 night Getaway valid for over 25 destinations, plus $100 in
Dining Certificates)
Tunnel Creek Lodge-one week for lodging
WITFAWN TOURS –including two USC v. Stanford football tickets


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