I've never been good at these online fundraisers. But I have been working to become a stronger swimmer than I've ever been, and I thought, why not combine the two? Many of you who know me know that every year I spend 5 days in a remote camp on Catalina Island with a bunch of kids with heart disease and a group of some of the most wonderful people in the world. For some of these kids, camp is essential to their self-esteem and sense of belonging, and the only place where they get to feel like a "normal" kid.

I attended the lifeguard training this summer, and I really enjoyed it. I think I might be able to be fit to help out camp as a lifeguard, if and when they might be able to use my help on the team. With an injured shoulder at the moment, I'm focusing on trading water, which is something I'd need to get a lot stronger at if I were going to be considered for the team. I've decided to do one of those challenges and make it a fundraiser. I'm setting out to spend 300 minutes treading water with no hands, treading holding a weight, or continuously swimming if my shoulder gets better (meaning anytime I stop, the clock stops) by the Fam Fest on October 21st. Let's see what I can do! Keep an eye on my Facebook page to see my progress. 

Begun in 1994 by a pediatric cardiologist and a cardiovascular nurse, Camp del Corazon provides a free-of-charge residential summer camp on Catalina Island off the coast of California to 300+ kids (ages 7-17) living with congenital heart disease. Over the past 25 years, Camp del Corazon has grown to include year round programming, including virtual camp, an educational symposium for heart families, and a young adult program (ages 18-25) to support former campers as they transition to adulthood and take ownership of their health.

Will you help me? You can join my team, make a donation, share the link to this page on social media, or come volunteer at FamFest on October 21 and be part of the camp magic! Thanks for helping to raise awareness and funds for this organization that is so close to my heart.