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Two San Ramon Valley High School graduates, Jake Javier and Katie Pasichuke, are giving Tri-Valley residents the opportunity to beat the heat this weekend, all while supporting a good cause.
Katie and Jake’s Swim-A-Thon and Bellyflop Contest will run Sunday starting at 8 a.m. at the Del Amigo Swim Club in Danville, and raise funds for physically challenged athletes who are seeking higher education.
“We would love to see you this summer at Del Amigo as Jake and I raise money for Swim With Mike, who aids physically challenged and impaired athletes (like us and others!) across the nation in paying for their college educations,” Pasichuke wrote on the Facebook event page.
All proceeds go to “Swim With Mike,” an international charitable organization from Southern California.
“Swim With Mike has been enabling those with costly disabilities to continue their education through fundraising efforts for the past 38 years,” Pasichuke said. “We would love to see our hometown community supporting our dream!”
The day begins at 8 a.m. with the all-day Swim-A-Thon at the Del Amigo Swim Club in Danville, across the street from San Ramon Valley High School. Although typically a members-only swim club, during the event participants get get in with a $5 donation and enjoy the Del Amigo facilities. Sunday is expected to be quite hot; the National Weather Service predicts temperatures over 90 degrees.
Javier, Pasichuke and one of their friends will judge competitors on their diving abilities at the belly flop contest starting at noon. Competitors will be judged based on style, flair, impact and size of the splash.
The winner will receive a custom bellyflop t-shirt made by Pasichuke, and competitors who stand out will also receive prizes, including a goody bag of “belly flop jelly beans.” Prizes and bonus points will be given to the cutest kids who participate, Pasichuke said with a laugh.
Those wishing to participate in the bellyflop contest will need to donate a minimum of $5 to enter, but participants can feel free to donate as much as they are comfortable with.
The pool’s snack shack will be open for the event, with food being donated from Bagel Street Cafe, Primos, Starbucks, Christy’s Donuts, Subway and Jersey Mike’s. All proceeds from the snack shack, swim and contest will go towards the Swim With Mike scholarship fund.
Swim With Mike was started in 1981 by friends of three time All-American swimmer from the University of Southern California, Mike Nyeholt, who was paralyzed from the chest down following a motorcycle accident he suffered that same year. Since then the organization has continued to raise funds to help pay the college tuition of disabled athletes.
Pasichuke explained that scholarships offered by Swim With Mike are important because medical bills for people in the disabled community are usually very expensive, making it difficult for some to afford tuition.
“It’s been really inspiring meeting Mike and his friend Ron, who started it for him, they’re so amazing and humble,” Pasichuke said. “And what they’ve (accomplished), it’s not just Ron doing it for his friend, but the fact that they’ve wanted to expand it and they have on such a massive scale.”
Since its inception Swim With Mike has raised over $20 million for 218 scholarships at 111 universities across the country. In fact the organization also has global influence, having sponsored numerous international students. All in continuation of its mission of “turning tragedy into triumph and triumph into opportunity.”
“I don’t know if people who should know about it, do know about it,” Pasichuke said of the scholarship offered. “Because you usually hear about it from other college students or other recipients. The more the word that goes out the more people we can help.”
Javier and Pasichuke are themselves Swim With Mike recipients. In 2016 Javier broke his neck after diving into his pool and Pasichuke crushed her vertebrae after falling off of her neighbors balcony a year later.
“I was approached by other people who have been through (Swim With Mike). You can apply to if you are a disabled former or current athlete, they help them by helping pay their way through school and stuff like that,” Javier said. “It mainly spreads through word of mouth I’d say.”
After taking a gap year to focus on his recovery, Javier just finished his first year at California Polytechnic, where he is seeking a degree in biomedical engineering. “I love it down there,” he said.
Javier is also the founder of his own charitable organization, Javi Strong. The organization is an offshoot of fundraising efforts to help the Javier family pay for his recovery. After receiving a large amount of public support from across the country, Javier started the organization in the hopes of helping people who have received similar injuries.
“After my injury I kind of started a foundation because I had a lot of support and outreach. So I kind of started to put something together to help other people with similar injuries as me,” Javier said. “We’ve had a couple of fundraisers but I’ve been away at school and my parents still work so it’s hard for us to manage it, but were still planning to keep it going in the future.”
Pasichuke just completed her second year at the University of Southern California– the same school where Swim With Mike began– and is working towards a degree in international relations and global business.
She still stays active by doing yoga and Pilates, currently she is in a Pilates class instructed by a founder from No Limits Collaborative which participates in and trains athletes for triathlons across California. She wasn’t able to participate this year, but hopes to compete in next summer’s Oakland triathlon. After some more training of course, including an open water swim in Berkeley which she plans to participate in next month.
Katie and Jake’s Swim-A-Thon and Bellyflop Contest starts Sunday 8 a.m. at the Del Amigo Swim Club, 601 Glen Rd., in Danville. Participants who wish to swim are suggested to make a donation of $5, but participants are encouraged to donate more if they are able.
“It’s an awesome feeling,” Pasichuke said of her involvement in the Swim-A-Thon. “The more I can give back the better off so many people can be.”
Good people doing good things for others. It doesn’t get any better than that. This is the kind of news I like to read.
Jake and Katie: You are both an inspiration to all of us! Thank you for all your good works to assist others, and for continuing to strive toward your personal goals.