The Night Train Swimmers

Volunteer corporation that launched a five-person race through the Eurotunnel and was founded in 2008. A team of thrill-seekers took to the open waters of San Francisco Bay to raise money for nonprofits to improve people’s lives.

The number of participants is filled annually with marathons in the Sea of ​​Cortez, Lake Powell, and the Farallon Islands. Their job is to spread welfare and attract supporters. Named Nighttrain228, the organization claimed world victory in a non-stop ocean relay, sailing 228 miles (367 km) along the California coast from Gaviota State Park to San Diego Beach.

Within 100 hours 28 minutes from 22 to 26 August 2013. Led by Captain Vito Bialla with navigator Hal McCormick and observer Patrick Horne, his shift included Phil Cutty, David Holscher, Zach Zhirkovsky, Luan Roe, Blair Cannon, and Grace van der Byl.

Swim Evolution

In 2007, several participants from the San Francisco bay area set a goal of sailing across the Eurotunnel next year. Teaming up with a few random acquaintances to learn how to swim in the bay to raise money for a local organization for a five-man race. Consequently, by 2008 Night Train Swimmers was created.

A year and a half later, members of the formation made a fastest five-man crossing of the English Channel and raised $25,000 for their regional association. The Lifehouse corporation was the first to receive maintenance from Night Train Swimmers for people who are lagging in development.

Their next goal was to fundraise for the Reed School Foundation, and hold up their local school district. As the team finished the relay from Sacramento to Tiburon. The following year, they resumed fundraising for the Wounded Warrior project.

2012 WOWSA Performance of the Year Nomination

The swimmer relay race on the night train from SF to SB was submitted for an award. The World Open Water Swimming Association nomination reads:

1. The team have increase a mind-boggling $1.2 million in their 339-mile (546 km) non-stop charity swim along the California coast from San Francisco to Santa Barbara;
2. They survived six days of non-stop race among the boundless poisonous jellyfish in water, with a temperature above 14°C;
3. They adhered to the rules of navigation through the canals, consistently remembering their temporary inconvenience cannot be compared with the life filled with the discomfort of wounded soldiers.

Hour after hour, day after day, six participants Phil Cutty, Patti Bauernfeind, Dave Holscher, Joseph Locke, Kim Chambers, and Zach Jirkovskiand controlled by captain Vito Bialla battled the water elements.

Despite an eternal flowering of poisonous medusas, a fearless group came to an end in 109 hours. Eventually they won.The 2012 World Open Water Swimming Awards honored courageous men and women who raised $1.2 million for charity.

2015 WOWSA

Annually, the Night Train Swimmers continue to do something new and inspiring and don’t stop raising the bar with six-man relay races and charitable donations. The NT300 relay consists of Grace van der Byl, Dave Holscher, Kimberly Chambers, Adam Eilat, Ashley Horn, and Vito Bialla. The partnership again reached their goal, sailing 300 miles non-stop in San Francisco Bay.

From Monday to Friday, they swam a total of 500.5km to raise enough money to help gunshot victim Arthur Renowitzki get expensive, cutting-edge technology to help him walk again.

With very little sleep, a lot of hard work, and a lot of inspiration for 5 days with nights in the cold San Francisco Bay, Grace van der Byl, Dave Holscher, Kimberly Chambers, Adam Eilat, Ashley Horn, and Vito Bialla have achieved their new goal.

The association of swimmers are a dignified nominee for the 2015 WOWS for their philanthropic project in relation to young men, record swims over the course, and striving to raise as much money as possible for those in need.