Many open water swims are charity events for a cause. From Clean Half Extreme Marathon Swim to the Round Jersey Relays, swimmers are often raising money for non-profit groups or charity programs.

The charity swims include open water swimming events, relays, or stage swims for military, environmental, ecological, medical or social causes.

One innovative program for cancer patients is Beat the Odds®, led by open water swimmer Dr. Mariusz Wirga of Memorial Care in Long Beach, California.

“Patients follow their doctors’ treatment recommendations, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. But there is another important tool available to them. Your mind can play an essential role in the healing process. Research has shown that cancer patients who can ‘re-frame’ their thinking can dramatically improve their quality of life, decrease anxiety, improve sleep, and reduce pain, fatigue, and other symptoms. Studies have shown that such re-framing can give a survival advantage to patients.”

Listening to Dr. Wirga is refreshing and uplifting. Not only is Beat the Odds® an innovative and effective cancer survivorship program, but Dr. Wirga possesses and shares a relentlessly upbeat and joyous philosophy that also has innumerable applications for athletes, especially those of the endurance kind.

And he is putting his philosophy to work in the open water. He participated in the 100-meter open water swim at the Swim Across America Long Beach event in 2012, but aims to step up to the 10 km swim in 2013.

Over the next 10 months, Open Water Source will follow Dr. Wirga’s weekly progress and training regimen as he prepares to reach his 2013 open water swimming goal: to increase his distance over 10-fold, from the 800m event to a 10 km marathon swim.

Copyright © 2012 by World Open Water Swimming Association