Team Carolyn has only been participating in Swim Across America’s fundraisers for the past three years, but has quickly become one of the organization’s top teams.
The SAA’s 24th annual open water swim was held on Saturday, August 3 at Pryibil Beach in Glen Cove. The Nassau/Suffolk chapters raised a grand total of $850,000. Nassau chapter Team Stacey was the top fundraiser with $276,024, and Team Carolyn followed in second place with $214,334.
“Team Carolyn in its first two years raised more than $500,000, thanks to everyone,” said Team Carolyn captain, Steve Chestler.
Team Carolyn is named for Carolyn Jaenisch, who lost her battle to terminal adenocarcinoma, a form of non-small cell lung cancer, in November 2021. Carolyn is remembered by friends and family for her adventurous spirit and passion for nature. She completed impressive athletic feats, such as the NYC marathon, relay and double relays across the English Channel and hiking Machu Picchu.
Carolyn was an avid swimmer, participating in many open water swims across Long Island, and swam with the Long Island Masters and Excel Swim Club for more than 21 years. Her diagnosis and passing came as a huge shock to her family, and Team Carolyn was formed to honor her love of swimming.
The team has been captained by her husband, Steve Chestler, for the past three years. Chestler is from Old Westbury, and
Derrick Edwin, who is currently battling stage four colon cancer, swims for the team as they continue to fight the disease. The chapter begins to grow with each fundraiser.
“The team is dedicated to fighting cancer, the disease that took Carolyn Jaenisch from us, while simultaneously doing something she loved: swimming,” said Chestler.
There were almost 1,000 swimmers participating this year, marking the Nassau/Suffolk Long Island Swim one of the largest in the nation.
Swimmers of all abilities are welcomed to participate in all of SAA’s events. At the 24th annual open water swim this month, swimmers had the option to participate in half-mile, one-mile or two-mile swims, as well as the Family Fun Swim.
All proceeds of the swim are donated to the top cancer institutions in the New York City and Long Island area, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Feinstein Institute of North Shore, MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital, SHARE Cancer Support and Weill Cornell Medicine.
Donations benefit cancer research, clinical trials and patient care programs. These hospitals have made impressive improvements in the field.
“The goal of the Swim Across America laboratory at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is to develop new approaches to cancer treatment through stimulating the immune system to attack cancer cells,” said SAA representative Jeni Howard.
The lab, Howard said, has been one of the most successful in the world and treats patients with breast cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, melanoma and lymphoma.
SAA has two pool swims coming up in September that any swimmer, regardless of ability, can join: Saturday, Sept. 7 at the Nassau County Aquatic Center and Saturday, Sept.r 28 at the Great Neck Swim Club.
Please visit www.swimacrossamerica.org for more information.
“If you knew Carolyn, you know she’d tell you to set a goal and go for it and join the swim,” said Chestler.
