Sports

Wayland Swimmer Participates in Swim Across America

Nicholas Karlson, a Wayland High School graduate, will take his years of competitive swimming to a charitable level this weekend.

Nicholas Karlson began swimming competitively in sixth grade. Over the next half-dozen years, he swam on the Wayland Junior Warriors team, the Wayland High School swim team and is about to start his third season on the Bates College swim team.

And this weekend he’s taking that love of the water from a competitive arena to a charitable one. Karlson will join several of his Bates College teammates this weekend as they participate in Swim Across America, a charity focused on raising funds for pediatric cancer survivorship programs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, according to a press release.

“Cancer has affected my family,” Karlson said. “I’ve had three grandparents who have lost their battles with cancer.”

In addition, he said some of his Bates teammates have parents or close relatives who are currently coping with a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

“It’s [Swim Across America] kind of a way the Bates swim team could get together and support that,” Karlson said.

Swimmers in the event raise pledge money in order to participate in one of the two Swim Across America events in the Boston area this weekend. Karlson, who is a freestyle sprinter and long-distance swimmer, is participating in Saturday’s one-mile swim at Nantasket Beach in Hull (contribute to Karlson’s fundraising goal here).

Swim Across America isn’t Karlson’s first charity effort, though it is his first time to participate in this particular event. He has participated in Relay for Life events, bike rides and the Hour of Power for Sarcoma Research, as well. Karlson said the Swim Across America event is just another opportunity to help out.

Karlson said his own personal experiences along with those of his teammates brought him to the decision to participate.

“It’s great to be able to do this,” he said. “Hopefully, it will be pretty sunny on the beach [and] we can have fun while we help support cancer research.”


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