It has been seven years since I last participated in open-water swim at High Tide Farm for Swim Across America. As a survivor myself, and being 15 years cancer-free this year, I feel it's time for me to participate, and celebrate again.   This year, I will be swimming in memory of an extraordinary woman, near and dear to my family and me: Jasmine Lampadarios.

Jasmine had a significant impact on my life, as well as on many people in our Greek community, friendships, family, and her professional networks. Her recent battle with cancer, which she fought with incredible strength, has left a void in many of our lives. Her absence has made me realize the significant impact she had on my life over the past ten years, making her loss even more challenging to cope with and understand.

I will always miss our countless conversations, her matchmaking efforts, our shared eye-rolling, monitoring her unique way of parking her car, our time at Greek festivals and church gatherings, being church pew buddies, our discussions about our travel experiences, just to name a few. I "owe" Jasmine for inspiring me to be a "professional traveler" and pursuing my traveling passion, especially when traveling solo! 

Her storytelling always brought humor and topped everyone else's, unintentionally. I'll never forget the engaging story of how Jasmine and her late husband, George, started dating. One of my favorite memories of Jasmine is that she always said yes to attending a party, no matter how last minute or far the drive was for her. She was always the first to RSVP to my invites, and always showed up full-handed, bringing appetizers for everyone to enjoy. And let's remember her trademark: scarves that she collected worldwide.

Ironically, Jasmine was with me during my first open-water swim with Swim Across America. She SURPRISED me at Gibson Island just before I started swimming. She was the Baltimore friend cheering me on and was my #1 supporter for me with her with both her presence at the swim, the countless donations, and her good luck and "be safe" wishes via text. It's meaningful for me to participate in this event again, as she played a massive role in my first experience and consistently supported my fundraising efforts over the years.

We continue to pray for her family to have continued strength, and hope that the funds raised for cancer research at Johns Hopkins will make a difference.

Jasmine, life will never be the same without you. 

May her memory be eternal. 

Your support is not just a donation – it's aimed to be a powerful tool in the fight against cancer. Your contribution, no matter the size, is a significant step towards the fundraising goal. I am deeply grateful for any support you can provide. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of individuals and families affected by this disease.