Brian Earley, Founder of the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim

Website(s):
http://openwatersource.com
http://bayswim.com

The Great Chesapeake Bay Swim is one of the world's greatest open water swims and an institution on the Eastern Seaboard. The Great Chesapeake Bay Swim is a 4.4 mile swim across Maryland's Chesapeake Bay. The race was started because one single young man -- Brian Earley has a desire and dream to honor his late father.

21-year old Brian Earley was the first to swim from Kent Island to Sandy Point State Park on June 13, 1982, in memory of his father Joseph Earley, who died of diabetes complications in 1981. Two years later, race organizer Fletcher Hanks began a separate bay swim event which attracted 2 swimmers the first year and about 60 the second year. In 1986, Fletcher and Brian merged their separate events when 211 swimmers successfully swam across the Bay.

Brian continues to be involved along with thousands of others of staff and volunteers who make this swim happen year-in and year-out. The swim is not only a lifetime experience for thousands of swimmers, but is also a highly successful charity fundraiser for the Maryland Chapter of the March of Dimes in its Campaign for healthier Babies.

Since 1993, the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim is limited to the first 600 entrants in order to maintain its high standards of safety. Brian explains the history, the challenge and the future of this open water institution.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• brian earley
• great chesapeake
• bay swim
• open water swimming
• openwatersource
• steven munatones