HOLLAND, Mich. — Dr. Bryan Huffman, a local ophthalmologist, conquered a grueling 16.5 hours in what's called the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
Why? To raise money for swim lesson scholarships at the Holland Aquatic Center.
For Dr. Huffman, it's more than just swimming.
“It felt like there needed to be a bigger purpose than just me swimming,” he said.
Dr. Huffman swims so children who couldn't otherwise afford it are able to.
“Right now, it's limited to people who can't afford swim lessons, so they can apply for a scholarship,” he remarked.
Like the famous fish who says "just keep swimming," Dr. Huffman's goal is to ultimately make swim lessons completely free to kids in West Michigan.
Since the initiative began last year, Dr. Huffman has raised just shy of $50,000, completing the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. This trifecta includes the English Channel, the Catalina Channel and the 20 Bridges Swim.
Incredibly, “I am the only one from the state of Michigan to ever complete the Triple Crown,” Dr. Huffman said.
Dr. Huffman began his Triple Crown journey in October 2022 when he successfully swam across the English Channel. In 2023, he claimed his second “crown” by circumnavigating the island of Manhattan during the 20 Bridges Swim. Finally, he secured his victory by recently completing the swim in the Catalina Channel.
However, in the final leg of the Triple Crown, he faced some obstacles.
Dr. Huffman explained, “The captain on the boat said this was the roughest weather they've had for a swim in over a year."
But for Dr. Huffman, it's all worth it — for the kids, and for himself.
“The reward is finishing. It's something not many people are able to do, or to say they've done," he said.
Although Dr. Huffman enjoys long-distance swimming, he remains motivated by the kids. "The main reason for doing these swims is to raise money to pay for swim lessons for kids in West Michigan,” he said. “My swims are all self-funded, so all of the money goes to providing swim lessons to kids.”
Dr. Huffman plans to continue training and raising money for swim lessons by ultimately conquering all five Great Lakes.
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