Swim Free of Fear

Oceana — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:07:51 -0400

I’m sure you can remember the first time you saw the movie Jaws. In fact, I bet the theme song is playing in your head right now. Tuesday marked the 35th anniversary of the filming of that infamous July 4 beach scene.

Crowds of bathing suit-clad extras screamed and ran from the water over and over again until the scene was perfect. Yet, here’s the thing: Jaws is a movie. And those extras were simply acting. Because the truth is, despite the ever-present hysteria—see "Sharks as Serial Killers? Try Again” on the Oceana blog—that beach scene is probably never going to happen to you. And what's more, we're the ones putting sharks in danger of extinction.

Aaron Schools Phelps in Charlotte

Oceana — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:17:29 -0400

Aaron is back in the news, even though the 2012 Summer Olympics are a ways off. At the Charlotte UltraSwim a few weeks ago, he defeated Michael Phelps in the 100-meter backstroke.

Watch video of the race and hear what Aaron had to say about it:

"I was getting texts and emails from people I hadn't heard from in a long time saying congratulations," said Peirsol. "I got more attention from this meet than most national meets that we go to."

Oceana: A Four-Star Charity

Oceana — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:09:10 -0400

It's charity report card time again, and Oceana just scored an A+.

Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator, released its latest rankings and we received four out of a possible four stars, which means Oceana "exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its Cause."

Charity Navigator rates charities by evaluating indicators of organizational efficiency and organizational capacity. As their website states, "Our ratings show givers how efficiently a charity will use their support today, and to what extent the charities are growing their programs and services over time."

News From Another Race

Oceana — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 07:56:00 -0400

You may have read about the around-the-world Volvo Ocean Race on our OCYC blog, but here's a first for the race: as the NYT reported, the seven remaining yachts had to make a detour to go around a whale sanctuary near Boston this past weekend.

The boats, which can reach 30 mph, sailed around the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and the North Atlantic right whales that are feeding in the area. Due to the boats' speed, a collision with a whale can be disastrous for both parties -- the animal may be killed and crew members could be thrown into rigging (that's the sailing apparatus, for all you non-sailors).

Marine mammal collisions are increasingly a problem. Several sailors in the recent Vendée Globe race sustained severe damage to their boats after hitting what they believed were marine mammals. And one sailor in the Artemis trans-Atlantic race last May had to abandon his boat after he reported striking a large sea mammal.

2009 RFTO Dates Announced

Oceana — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:06:24 -0400

Mark your calendars! The second annual Aaron Peirsol's Race for the Oceans has been scheduled for October 10-11, 2009 at Fort Myers Beach in Fort Myers, Fla.

Part of the proceeds from the event will again go to Oceana's efforts to protect the sea.

Aaron will, of course, host and participate in the event and NBC Olympic broadcaster Rowdy Gaines will serve as master of ceremonies for the event.

As Aaron told Swimming World Magaazine, "This is a great chance for people to experience the joy of swimming in Florida's warm ocean waters and raise awareness for an important cause."

NBC's Q&A with Aaron

Oceana — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:30:23 -0500

Aaron was interviewed last week for NBC's Todayshow.com about RFTO and the Fort Myers event. Check out the interview below!

Q: When did your relationship with the water really begin?

A: I have always had a very natural connection to the water, and that connection stems from the ocean itself. I think a more pertinent question would be “Did I ever not have a relationship with the water?”

Q: Can you give a quick rundown of the ocean/water preservation programs and organizations you’ve been involved with?

A: I began working with Oceana, which is the largest international organization that is dedicated to solving the oceans’ problems, about three years ago. As opposed to spreading themselves thin over many environmental issues, Oceana's decision to solely work on the world's oceans enables them to work toward achieving measurable change by conducting specific, fact-based campaigns with fixed deadlines and articulated goals.

Aaron's Winning Streak Continues

Oceana — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:14:30 -0500

The inaugural Aaron Peirsol’s Race for the Oceans was a splashing success this weekend. Hundreds of swimmers, from age 9 to 59, gathered in Ft. Myers, Florida for their chance to race against the seven-time Olympic medalist and support ocean conservation.

Read on for details and more photos from the event!

The Athlete Humanitarian Award

Oceana — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:41:40 -0500

Aaron has been nominated for USA Swimming's Athlete Humanitarian Award, which is presented to "a swimmer that has competed at a National Championships or higher lever, who has given back to his or her country, community, charity or cause."

The other nominees this year include Megan Jendrick, Cullen Jones, and Lenny Krayzelburg.

The award will be presented Monday, November 17 at the New York Hilton at the Fifth-annual USA Swimming Foundation Golden Goggle Awards, which will be hosted by NBC sportscaster Bob Costas. Members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Team will be there, including Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, Jason Lezak, Rebecca Soni, and Dara Torres.

Race Weekend is Almost Here!

Oceana — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:58:41 -0400

As United States Masters Swimming's site reminds us, it's a little more than a week until Aaron's Race for the Oceans Open Water Swim weekend, November 8 and 9 in Fort Meyers, Florida.

There will be events for all ages and levels, and Rowdy Gaines, gold medalist and swimming commentator, will make a special appearance.

The REAL Race for the Oceans

Oceana — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:51:03 -0400

Summer might be over, but don't put away your goggles and swimcaps yet -- you're gonna need them to train for Aaron's "Race for the Oceans," an Open Water swim in Fort Myers, Florida.

On Saturday, November 8th, there will be a 500-yard junior swim for those 12 years old and younger, and on Sunday November 9th, there will be a 1K and 5K swim for Masters swimmers.

Registration is now open!

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