Get ready to make a splash! The Bill Keating, Jr. Great Ohio River Swim returns to the water on Sunday. The event was originally scheduled for late August, but river conditions caused its postponement.
A fundraiser for Adventure Crew, a local nonprofit that offers outdoor recreation opportunities for city teens, the event is the only open water swim to travel across the Ohio River and back. Participants take the plunge at the Public Landing in Downtown Cincinnati, then swim to the Kentucky side of the river and back (a distance of approximately one-half mile) while the river is closed to motorized traffic. Registration is open for the event at www.greatohioriverswim.com.
(Photo from Adventure Crew)
New this year, “Double Dippers” can take a 2.5-mile swim downstream along the Ohio shoreline before joining participants in the traditional 900-meter course. Double Dippers commit to raising funds for Adventure Crew’s Swim Training Program, which provides urban youth with access to high-quality swim lessons, water safety instruction and lifeguard certification.
“We added this new facet of the event after so many people expressed interest in Caroline Keating’s 5K on the Ohio River last year,” said Miriam Wise, Adventure Crew’s associate director. “It’s a great opportunity for strong swimmers looking to complete an open water challenge while also making a positive impact on the lives of local teens.”
After last year’s Swim was canceled because of COVID-19, Keating swam a 5K on the Ohio River and raised more than $10,000 for Adventure Crew in the process. The Swim is named for Keating’s late father, Bill Keating, Jr., one of the first swimmers to sign up for the inaugural event in 2007. (That first year, he won the men’s swim but lost the overall title to Caroline.) He continued to be a huge supporter of the event until he lost his battle with brain cancer in 2017.
On the day of the event, on-site registration opens at 7 a.m., with mandatory open water safety instructions at 8 a.m. and an 8:15 a.m. start. Double Dippers will begin their 2.5-mile swim at 7 a.m. and then join the 900-meter course.
Wise said she’s excited to see some 200 swimmers get back on the Ohio River in support of Adventure Crew’s swim program.
“Swimming is an important life skill, and a lifesaving one, too,” she said. “While there are great swim traditions in our city, there is limited access to instruction in the communities Adventure Crew serves. The Bill Keating, Jr. Great Ohio River Swim raises critical funds to help broaden that access to all.”
Adventure Crew
