Doug McConnell and his team of nine swimmers, three boats and two kayaks were met with cheers at Lighthouse Beach in Edgartown Friday afternoon as they headed to shore, goggles around necks and big smiles on their faces. The group had just completed their second successful charity relay, swimming from Nantucket to Martha’s Vineyard.
The swim began at Eel Point on Nantucket, hitting the water at 7:38 a.m. Friday morning, and finishing on East Beach on Chappaquiddick at 3:22 p.m., completing the 18-mile journey in just under eight hours.
“The conditions couldn’t have been better,” said Mr. McConnell, organizer of the relay and founder of A Long Swim, a nonprofit that raises money for ALS research through open-water swimming events. “It was spectacular all day.”
This year’s swim raised money for the Martha’s Vineyard YMCA, to help fund free swim lessons for Island children.
Mr. McConnell had unsuccessfully attempted the swim solo three times before recruiting a team of experienced swimmers to help out. The team completed the swim for the first time during the summer of 2025.
This year’s swimmers included Mr. McConnell, John O’Connell, Bill Ritter, Jen Passafiume, Jon Chatinover, Luke Lefeber, Brock Katzen, Emmett Silva, Andy Carr and Gabby Carr.
For Mr. McConnell, having a team by his side made the mission feel more personal and lighthearted.
“You spend eight hours on a boat with people you are just getting to know, and now they’re your friends,” he said.
That didn’t mean there weren’t real challenges along the route. Mr. McConnell said each team experienced moments of struggle, whether they were fighting against water conditions or the fatigue of their own bodies. During those times, swimmers had rely on their own willpower to keep going.
Mantras or habits can help distract a swimmer from discomfort.
“Everybody has their own,” said Mr. McConnell. “I’m a stroke counter...it keeps your mind occupied.”
Back on land, Mr. McConnell reflected being back on shore.
“Anytime you land an ocean swim and you feel the sand under your hand, it’s pretty magical,” he said.
As of Friday afternoon, the relay had already raised $5,300 for the YMCA, with more donations coming in steadily.
“There’s so many children on the Island who just don’t have the resources to be able to pay for swimming lessons,” Mr. McConnell said. “And here they are, on an island.”
“Swimming is priority number one,” added Jen Passafiume, relay swimmer and aquatics director at the Martha’s Vineyard YMCA.
Mr. McConnell said that even though proficiency is the goal, oftentimes kids won’t stop there. They find that they enjoy swimming and want to pursue it further, whether that means swimming for sport, becoming a lifeguard or even teaching their parents to swim.
Mr. McConnell said swimming with a team was incredibly rewarding, but he isn’t ready to write off another solo swim just yet. During his career he has completed numerous long swims, including the English Channel, the Catalina Channel, the Molokai Channel and a swim around Manhattan, to name a few.
“It would be a lot of fun,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a hell of a challenge, but we’d love to be able to do that.”
To contribute, vist alongswim.org.
Comments
Comment policy »