Strokes for Hope: Olympian Brooke Bennett raising money for Crisis Center with swim around Davis Islands
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Florida native Brooke Bennett is taking the plunge to help raise funds for the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.
The distance swimmer will join Crisis Center of Tampa Bay CEO Clara Reynolds and a team of swimmers for Strokes for Hope on Saturday, March 23.
Strokes for Hope is an annual event raising money for Crisis Center of Tampa Bay and spreading awareness of its life-saving programs. It was postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic and returned in 2023.
On Saturday, the group will set out on a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) swim around Davis Islands. Swimmers seeking a shorter route can participate in a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) swim.
Swimmers interested in attending Strokes for Hope can sign up and pay the entry fee on the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay website. Participants must bring a kayaker to spot them during the swim.
Brooke Bennett will join WFLA Now’s JB Biunno on Tuesday, March 19 to discuss the event and how you can get involved. They will also preview the upcoming summer Olympics in Paris.
Bennett is considered one of the world’s greatest distance swimmers, taking home the gold in the 800-meter freestyle event in the 1996, 1998 and 2000 Olympics. She also has several national and world championship medals.
9 Aug 2000: Brooke Bennett swims in the Women’s 400 meter Freestyle Event during the US Olympic Swim Trials at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana.Mandatory Credit: Al Bello /Allsport Crisis Center of Tampa Bay CEO Clara Reynolds
She now works as the development manager for Clearwater for Youth (CFY), which uplifts the youth of Pinellas County through athletics and skill-building activities.
Although her current career is on dry land, the mother of two can’t seem to stay away from the water. She keeps herself busy by teaching water safety and swim lessons, working as a Clearwater beach lifeguard and inspiring the next generation of swimmers.
Crisis Center of Tampa Bay staff are available 24/7 by dialing 211 (or 988 if experiencing a mental health crisis). The organization provides immediate and confidential short-term crisis intervention, and information or referrals to over 3,000 human services available in the Tampa Bay area. Call 911 in an emergency.
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