A sea of red, white, and blue encompassed the 9/11 memorial in New York City. Each participant, wearing light blue swim trunks, held an American flag as a solemn reminder of what was sacrificed twenty-three years ago and the continued sacrifice of our military and first responders. As the crowd dispersed, chants of “USA” rang out—a fitting end to the fourth annual Navy SEAL Foundation swim, where veterans and first responders raise money and awareness for America’s heroes.

The Course

Over 300 athletes started the day at Liberty State Park in New Jersey. From there, they swam to the Statue of Liberty. Once out of the water, they completed 100 pushups and 22 pull-ups to represent our civil liberties and freedoms. On the next leg of the race, athletes swam to Ellis Island and completed the next set of pushups and pull-ups to pay homage to all who come to the United States in search of a better life. To complete the swim, competitors swam to Battery Park and then ran to the World Trade Center, performing the final round of 100 pushups and 22 pull-ups to honor all of those who lost their lives on 9/11 and in Extortion 17.

With such a grueling course, the question becomes: what makes a person want to swim over three miles and complete 300 pushups and almost 100 pull-ups? For some, like Glenn Langhans, a first responder who was participating in the swim for the first time, the motivation is personal. “

I’m doing this for my brother,” he told Greater Than The Game.

Over the past four years, the event has grown to encompass former and active service men, women, and first responders from around the country. One former Navy SEAL came all the way from Hawaii with nine active-duty SEALs to participate in the event in the name of patriotism, brotherhood, and camaraderie.

His advice for anyone interested in participating in 2025 is:

“Train, train, and over-train. You don’t need to do long distances because they are only mile swims. You are with so many people that the energy will really push you along.”

Impact

It was this collective energy that raised $600,000 for various programs to help veterans and their families. If you would like more information on the Navy SEAL Foundation or would like to donate, click [here] and check out this short, powerful documentary about the swim below:

That’s it for this post! If you like what you read, you can follow us on Instagram and Facebook using the buttons above. If you would like to help us create more inspiring content, please donate to Greater Than The Game using the button at the bottom of the site. Your tax-deductible donation will go toward creating more inspiring and uplifting content

Valor Fitness

We would like to give  a huge thank you to the sponsor of this article, Valor Fitness.

Valor Fitness is a family-owned company founded in 2006 with a passion for helping people achieve their fitness goals.They understand the challenges people face when trying to stay fit and are here to help. Valor Fitness offers a wide variety of high-quality, affordable fitness equipment for your home gym. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned athlete, they have everything you need for a great workout. They believe everyone deserves access to the tools they need to live a healthy lifestyle. That’s why they offer competitive prices and financing options on all their equipment. Click the here to shop now