Kachemak Swim Club held its annual Swim-a-thon on Friday, March 21, at the Kate Kuhns Aquatic Center.

The pool was filled with family members, coaches and pool staff there to support the swimmers. Kids played in the bleachers and tables laden with food for hungry swimmers lined one side of the room.

Thirty-three swimmers participated, swimming a total of 4,717 pool lengths — about 67 miles.

The Swim-a-thon is Kachemak Swim Club’s biggest and primary fundraising event of the year. Swimmers collect pledges from businesses, family members, friends, and neighbors prior to swimming and earn money for their team by swimming lengths of the pool.

Swimmers have a two-hour period to swim a maximum of 200 lengths (5,000 yards) and are divided based on experience, skill, and speed, according to KSC coach Jaime Roth.

“We had 11 Smolt this year, compared to four last year,” Roth said Monday in a text message. “Tremendous growth!”

As of Monday, March 24, the Swim-a-thon had raised nearly $15,000 toward its $23,000 goal. Swimmers will continue to collect pledge money until Monday, April 14.

Funds raised from the Swim-a-thon help support the operational expenses of Kachemak Swim Club and support swimming scholarships for swim team members in need of reduced tuition. The Swim-a-thon also keeps monthly dues low and equitable for members.

Five percent of the funds raised go toward supporting the USA Swimming Foundation.

Roth said the numbers accompanying the students’ names represent the lengths of the pool swum. Each pool length is 25 yards, meaning that if a participant swam the Swim-a-thon’s maximum of 200 pool lengths, they traveled about 5,000 yards. Students are divided into named-divisions based on experience, skill, and speed. Smolt are generally the newest, youngest swimmers.

Smolt

Sienna Rummery, 40; Wilder Roth, 44; Nova Mede, 60; Lincoln Weisser, 80; Timothy Christman, 84; Hailey Fischer, 92; Molly Marden, 102; Zane Poirier, 110; Runa Larson, 114; Chloe Kiesel, 132; Alice Speakman, 142.

Discover

Ellowyn Hanson, 60; LaurelLyn Handley, 106; Thomas Hooker, 137; Mathilde Bynagle, 142; Hannah Hooker, 170; Maggie Maurer, 172.

Challenge

Cassidy Carroll, 200; Jody Goodrich, 200; Lorelei Kinney, 200.

Dream

Xander Roth, 100; AdelaRae Handley, 150; Taylor Dickerson, 152; Sean Johnson, 154; Brady Werts, 188; Hamish Bartlett, 190; Torrin Bartlett, 196.

Believe

Benjamin Overdorf, 200; Anika Sundheim, 200.

Achieve

Avery Briscoe, 200; Katie Hallam, 200; Jeremiah Overdorf, 200; Elias Sundheim, 200.

Parents, coaches, and pool staff cheer on students during the Kachemak Swim Club’s annual Swim-a-thon event on Friday, March 21, 2025, at the Kate Kuhns Aquatic Center in Homer, Alaska. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)

Swimmer Nova Mede stands proudly displaying her swim total on Friday, March 21, 2025, at the Kate Kuhns Aquatic Center in Homer, Alaska. Mede is the youngest swimmer on the competitive team. (Photo courtesy of Jaime Roth)

The oldest swimmers of KSC stand together on Friday, March 21, 2025 after swimming 200 lengths (or 5000 yards) at the Katie Kuhns Aquatic Center. From left to right, Jody Goodrich, Avery Briscoe, Katie Hallam, and Cassidy Carroll. (Photo courtesy of Jaime Roth)