She's Some Swimmer

Did you catch our livestream of Caroline Keating’s 5K on the Ohio River? On Sunday, Aug. 30, the day we’d planned to host the 2020 Bill Keating, Jr. Great Ohio River Swim, Caroline swam that distance in a little under an hour. Just as impressive, she used her swim as a fundraiser, generating more than $10,000 to support Adventure Crew! That completely replaces the funds we would have raised if we’d been able to hold the Swim, which we cancelled because of COVID-19. We are overwhelmed by her efforts and by the generosity of her supporters. Thank you!

Caroline took the plunge in her father’s memory: Bill Keating, Jr. was one of the first swimmers to sign up for the inaugural event in 2007. (He won the men’s swim but lost the overall title to Caroline.) He continued to support the event until he lost his battle with brain cancer in 2017, when the Swim was renamed in his memory.

But she also went those extra miles because she believes in our mission.

 “I love Adventure Crew’s philosophy of getting kids outside and doing activities,” she said. “Growing up, I had the privilege to be outside and active in sports, and I still love being outdoors as an adult.”

She has fond memories of active pursuits with her father and her four siblings (while their mother watched from the sidelines) – “it was always a competition,” she said.

Before Keating could even walk, she was in the pool with her father, a hall of fame swimmer at St. Xavier High School and the University of Cincinnati. It’s no surprise that she went on to swim at St. Ursula Academy and Bowling Green State University.

Also an avid runner, she ran her first marathon with her father in 2008, and he sparked the idea of running the Boston Marathon. As it turned out, she qualified for the race six weeks after his death and ran it in 2018. She qualified to run it again in 2021, but she needed a new challenge. So she started doing ultramarathons, running a 50K in December and a 50-mile race in March. Before COVID-19, she was set to run a 100-miler in September, but it’s been postponed until next year.

Her 5K Ohio River swim was also a new challenge: She had never swum that far in open water. Well, she passed it with flying colors! We’re so glad she’s part of our Crew!