7th Annual Swim With Mike Hawaii

Date: Monday, September 5, 2011
Time: 9am-Noon
Location: San Souci Beach to the Duke Kananamoku Beach – Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii
Special Note: To be held in conjunction with the Waikiki Roughwater Swim www.wrswim.com
Organizers: Kaia Hedlund, Emily Hobel

Event Info: 2.34 miles of open water swimming off of Waikiki Beach. The 42nd Waikiki Roughwater Swim is one of the oldest and most iconic open water swims in the world. It was the inspiration for the Ironman Triathlon. The distances for the 1st Ironman Triathlon were derived from the three most grueling races held in Hawaii at the time. The 2.34 mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim, the 112 Around Oahu Bike race and the 26 mile Honolulu Marathon. Participants in the 42nd Annual Waikiki Roughwater Swim will be encouraged to solicit sponsorships for their swim through www.swimwithmike.org or to make a direct donation during the registration process through active.com.
Open to: Swim entry at www.wrswim.com or www.waikikiroughwaterswim.com All swimmers who are capable of swimming this distance in open water.

Masters Challenge:

The 31^st Annual Swim With Mike campaign initiated the Masters Challenge – a unique effort to involve masters swimmers (adult fitness and competitive swimmers) in the cause and to encourage them to swim more laps and raise more dollars to support more scholarships for physically challenged athletes.  Swimmers who registered and entered the masters challenge were eligible for a contest held on May 31.  For every $100 they raised they received a “chance” in a random drawing.  10 prizes total.

Drew Daniele the second prize winner lucked out when he won the trip to Hawai’i to participate in the 42^nd Annual Waikiki Roughwater Swim when 1^st prize winner Dan Rosenthal was unable to make the trip.  The WRS on Labor Day will serve dual purpose as the 7^th Annual Swim With Mike Hawai’i .  Drew, who swam 80 laps and raised $1,700 at USC, will swim the 2.38 mile Waikiki course where he hopes to bring in additional sponsors.  “It was an unexpected thrill to win the grand prize, and have the opportunity to participate in the Waikiki Roughwater Swim,” said Philadelphia-born Daniele, an insurance executive with Assurant on his off-hours, and whose wife is a loyal Trojan.  “To be rewarded like this after getting involved with Swim With Mike is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  I really encourage as many people as I can to get involved with Swim With Mike, either through swimming or donating to those who do swim, because it helps so many disabled athletes continue to pursue their dreams.”