Great Ohio River Swim

Get ready to take the plunge: The Bill Keating, Jr. Great Ohio River Swim is coming up on Sunday, August 24! This open water swim across the Ohio River is a fundraiser for Adventure Crew, a local nonprofit that connects city teens with nature and each other through outdoor adventures. Participants enter the Ohio River at the Serpentine Wall in Downtown Cincinnati and swim to the Kentucky side of the river and back (approximately 900 meters) while the river is closed to motorized traffic. Registration is open on the event website. “The Great Ohio River Swim gets more and more popular every year,” said Miriam Wise, Adventure Crew’s director of support and engagement. “Many swimmers now see it as an annual ‘must-do’ summer challenge, and others are excited to check crossing the Ohio off their Cincinnati bucket list. We appreciate the growing interest in the event – and the fact that every registration and sponsorship supports Adventure Crew’s mission of connecting city teens with nature and each other through outdoor adventures!” Swimmers who want to go the extra miles (literally) can participate as “Double Dippers.” This small group of participants will take a 2.5-mile swim downstream along the Ohio shoreline before joining participants in the traditional 900-meter course. Double Dippers are encouraged to raise $200 for Adventure Crew. Interested swimmers must apply online and be accepted to participate; registration for the Double Dip is currently full. The Swim is named for Bill Keating, Jr., one of the first swimmers to sign up for the inaugural event in 2007. (That first year, he won the men’s swim but lost the overall title to his daughter, Caroline Keating, who now serves as the event chair.) He continued to be a huge supporter of the event until he lost his battle with brain cancer in 2017. “I’m so excited for another year of the Bill Keating Jr. Great Ohio River Swim, which directly supports Adventure Crew and specifically their incredible swim program,” Caroline Keating said. Now more than ever, it’s critical to invest in the teens in our community, and that’s exactly what Adventure Crew does. I know my dad would be proud to see how we’re honoring his legacy by building a stronger, more connected future for our city’s youth.” On the day of the event, check-in opens at 7 a.m., with mandatory open water safety instructions at 8 a.m. and an 8:15 a.m. start. Double Dippers must be present by 6:15 a.m. to complete their 2.5-mile swim before joining the 900-meter course. Event registration is limited to the first 250 participants, and the event is expected to sell out in advance. If river conditions are uncooperative, the event will be rescheduled for Sunday, September 7. Adventure Crew connects city teens in Greater Cincinnati with nature and each other through outdoor adventures. Founded in 2013, the nonprofit now serves all Cincinnati Public Schools high schools, seventh and eighth graders in select CPS elementary schools, and six schools in Northern Kentucky – a total of 27 schools and more than 900 students per year. Through challenging monthly adventures, city teens develop the courageous spirit to step out of their comfort zone and discover new worlds – outside in nature and inside themselves. This deep connection to nature will set a positive course for their lives – and help create the next generation of environmental stewards. For more information, visit www.adventurecrew.org.

Event Links

Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3190336-0

Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3190336-2

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