(Still) Swimming in San Francisco Bay Because Cancer (Still) Sucks!
In our lifetime, every other man and every third woman will be diagnosed with cancer. Many of my family and friends have been affected by this awful disease. Most recently, my father-in-law Richard Pierce lost his battle with esophageal cancer. Other people important to me--including my step-father Jim Hickey--are continuing their fight. Some in my life are thankfully in remission, including my father (Jim Beadling), step-mother (Wendy Vliet Beadling), and my childhood buddy Ted Wright. Cancer has taken too many to mention, including my uncle (Dick Naselli), my aunt (Jeanette Hacker), my mother-in-law (Cynthia Pierce), my friend Diane Foug, and my friend Kara Parsons. Simply put, cancer sucks, and I'm really tired of having it punch me in the gut.
Awhile back, I figured it was my turn to do some punching. So five years ago, I joined the Swim Across America community and a special team (Team Kara) so that, together, we could do exactly that. I have been swimming in San Francisco Bay for 20+ years, and there is something special about using the power of the Bay to kick cancer's ass. This year's event on October 5 is a 1.5 mile swim along the shore of the Bay. While training for the event, and for sure while swimming from Crissy Field to Aquatic Park on October 5, I will be thinking of all my cancer-impacted friends and family along the way. The team's original inspiration was Kara Parsons (who participated in this swim for several years). Unfortunately, cancer has had an increasingly broad impact on my life over the past several years, including on special family members. There's an inside joke with my family about a dragonfly, and that little critter has become something of a family spirit animal. So that's where the team name comes from. This year in particular I am swimming in honor of my father-in-law Dick Pierce, who contributed to my fundraising efforts every year and was an exceptionally good human being whom I miss very much. I'm also swimming to support my step-dad, Jim Hickey, who continues to fight the good fight.
Please support me by making a gift--details below, or consider joining Team Dragonfly for the swim. The money you give will go towards cancer research, prevention and treatment, and will make an impact in the fight to find a cure. If you're as fed up with cancer as I am, this is a step--or a few thousand chilly strokes, actually--in the right direction. And yep, if you're interested in joining Team Dragonfly, signing up for the swim and pitching in to the fundraising efforts, you're more than welcome. Just message me. Thank you.
You can make a credit card donation here, or send a check to Swim Across America, c/o Anthony DuComb, 1684 8th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122. Checks should be made out to Swim Across America but please include a note mentioning my name as the swimmer you are supporting.