Slavery is real. Kids can help!
Join us for the fifth totally fun swim-a-thon for youth swimmers, to benefit IJM (International Justice Mission) in their work to stop slavery!
Who can be part of Freedom Swim?
Kids and teens ages 6 to 18 take part in our event, each one setting a goal and swimming as many laps as they can in two hours.
Our beginner swimmers are proud to swim 15 laps, while our competitive swimmers have been known to swim 200!
And before each wave, younger siblings ages 3-6 may swim one lap with an adult's assistance before each wave as part of the Little Freedom Swimmers' team.
How many teams and swimmers will jump in this year?
This year, we have 3 waves of up to 8 teams (one per lane), and each team may have up to 12 swimmers.
- Wave 1 swims 10-12;
- Wave 2 swims 12:15-2:15; and
- Wave 3 swims 2:30-4:30.
We’ll have between 150 and 288 total swimmers, depending on how many sign up! The teams work together to fundraise and to support each other during the swim.
Can I see my swimmer in action?
You may stop by the Middleton High School Pool to watch the event. Check our 2020 Teams page to see when your swimmer will be in the water.
A volunteer will be counting laps for and encouraging every team. Some swimmers’ parents might even stream the event onto the swimmer’s fundraising page to allow sponsors to see the event live online!
It's Worth the Hard Work
Freedom Swimmers work very hard to raise pledges and to swim for two hours (yes, breaks are allowed!). It is quite an accomplishment!
However, in this event they are not swimming for their own glory but to be part of a movement: to end modern-day slavery in our lifetime.
Our favorite thing about Freedom Swim is to see the joy these kids and teens have, when they realize that they are truly making a difference, helping to bring real-life freedom to vulnerable people who are inherently valuable but don’t have a voice.
Those victims need someone to help bring them justice, and our swimmers are finding partners, like you, to help!
After their swim, they are rewarded with a great lunch from our sponsors, Yola’s Cafe and Chick-fil-A, as well as a cool t-shirt and goodie bag. Our top 3 fundraising teams receive prizes for raising the most money for IJM.