Three Weeks After Losing Her Father, Olympic Swimming Sensation Raises $665,000 for a Noble Cause

Athletes often make headlines for their performances during competitions or for supporting a charity. On the same note, one Olympic swimmer from Rhode Island has done both just three weeks after losing a loved one. However, instead of dwelling on her personal loss, she channeled her grief into a remarkable fundraising effort. With sheer determination, this swimming legend managed to raise an astounding amount of money for a noble cause close to her heart.

Elizabeth Beisel lost her father in July 2021 to stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The swimming ace used this personal loss to fuel her motivation to make a difference in the lives of others. Recognizing the importance of cancer research, she launched a very special campaign.

Swimming legend Elizabeth Beisel launched “Block Cancer” campaign to honor her late father

Elizabeth Beisel shared a close bond with her father, Charles “Ted” Lyons Beisel, who lost his battle against cancer. Weeks after his demise, his daughter decided to swim to Block Island, which is approximately 10.4 miles away from the mainland. Beisel became the first woman swimmer to have completed this challenging feat. Even a swimmer of her caliber with two Olympic medals to her name found the journey incredibly difficult. After she finished the swim, Beisel described the physical and mental drain she experienced during the grueling task.

Elizabeth Beisel gave an exclusive interview to People, stating, “for me to kind of just be alone for two to three to four hours in all of my training swims was really difficult”. She said that in the absence of any assistance, open-sea swimming can be very taxing. All the while, she was counting down to when she would be done.

In spite of all her difficulties, the swimming icon was glad to have accomplished what she intended from the campaign. Beisel managed to raise $665,000, which she had pledged to donate to cancer research. But the legendary athlete was just getting started and had bigger plans to help the cause.

Elizabeth Beisel commits to the cause

The sensational swimmer was resolved to continue supporting the great cause. Therefore, she started a humanitarian charity that raises money by selling cute and durable merch specifically for cancer patients. In the one month since her website has been operational, Beisel generated over $35,000 in revenue. Beisel redirects about 90% of this revenue to cancer research programs through Swim Across America, another nonprofit organization.

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The swimming ace was happy to see the support from the community, who bought not just cancer care packages but hoodies and other regular items. Beisel stays very busy throughout the day because of her multiple commitments. She works for NBC Sports and ESPN as a sports analyst and is also working towards getting a yoga teaching certificate. In her personal life, she devotes time to her fiance Jack Nichting whom she fell in love with during her stint on the popular reality show ‘Survivor’. Still, she finds time to work on her foundation and help the cause. She believes that her endeavors will surely make a positive impact on the lives of other cancer patients.

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