NOVA News

July is one of my favorite months of the year—and for good reason! We kick things off with fireworks, cookouts, and celebrations that bring family and friends together to honor the birth of our nation. The energy, the pride, and the sense of unity create the perfect backdrop for what comes next: the most exciting stretch of our swim season.

That’s right—the long-course championship season is officially here!

This is the moment we’ve been building toward all year. Every early morning practice, every challenging set, every stroke, turn, and finish has led to this point. Now is the time to channel all that hard work, focus your energy, and rise to the occasion.

Use every remaining practice to push your limits. Fine-tune the details. Sharpen your mindset. Trust your training, trust your coaches, and most importantly, trust yourself. You’ve earned this opportunity—now it’s time to make it count.

This year, the championship season begins a little earlier, with District Championships taking place on the last full weekend of June.

Long Course District Championships – Swimmers from across the program come together to kick off the championship season with excitement, energy, and team spirit.

From there, July is packed with opportunities to shine:

Virginia Swimming Senior Championships – A showcase for our 15 & Over athletes to compete against the best swimmers in the state.

Virginia Age Group Championships – Where our qualified 14 & Under swimmers step onto the blocks ready to test themselves against Virginia’s fastest age-group competitors.

For those who qualify, the season culminates with some of the most prestigious meets of the summer:

• NCSA Junior National Championships

• USA Swimming National Championships

• Eastern Zones Age Group Championships

• USA Swimming Summer Junior Nationals

These elite competitions represent the pinnacle of summer swimming and provide an incredible opportunity to compete on a larger stage.

But these meets are about more than times, rankings, and medals. They are a celebration of your journey, your growth, and your resilience. They are a chance to race with heart, compete with pride, and leave everything you have in the pool.

So dig deep. Stay focused. Swim with purpose. And remember—you’re not just racing for a time. You’re racing for your teammates, your coaches, your family, and yourself.

The day is yours. Make it unforgettable.

NOVASTRONG! #OneNOVA

NOVA proudly celebrated the official opening of the Farrell Family Weight Room at NOVA-Regency. Through their extraordinary generosity and belief in NOVA's mission, Mary and Stuart Farrell have created a lasting impact that will benefit thousands of swimmers for years to come.

We are deeply grateful for their gift and continued support of our program. This state-of-the-art training space will help our athletes grow stronger, train smarter, and continue to elevate their performance both in and out of the pool.

Thank you, Mary and Stuart, for helping shape the future of NOVA.

Central District LC Champs 6/25-28

Virginia LC Senior Champs 7/9-7/12 entry deadline 6/28 commit HERE

SDS Pool and Pizza Party 7/10 RSVP by 7/7 commit HERE

Virginia LC Age Group Champs 7/16-7/19 entry deadline 7/5 commit HERE

NCSA Summer Juniors 7/22-7/26

USA Swimming National Championship 7/28-8/1

NOVA's 2026 Long Course meet schedule is posted to the NOVA website HERE!

The day before the swim, I warmed up by swimming back and forth in front of the resort. My watch was showing 2:53 per 100 yards, which seemed impossible. It was a cloudy day, with a brief rain shower passing through. After 45 minutes in the water, my watch claimed I had only swum about a mile. Something had to be wrong with it. As I floated in the warm Caribbean water, I felt the breath of the ocean around me. More importantly, I felt a sense of peace that is difficult to explain. Deep in my spirit, I felt the words: I’ve got you, son. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

Later that day, I met with Orlando (the event organizer). Due to changes from the maritime authorities, we would have to move the starting point farther north on Cozumel to avoid crossing the ferry route during the swim. The adjustment would push the finish farther south on the mainland and add significant distance. Instead of the planned 27 kilometers, Orlando told me to expect more than 35 kilometers. My heart dropped. Fear rattled through my body. This swim was suddenly becoming much bigger than I had imagined. At the same time, I felt a strange mixture of excitement and anxiety. The challenge had grown, but so had the opportunity.

At 5:00 a.m. on swim morning, Orlando showed me three possible landing points. The best-case scenario was Punta Maroma at roughly 25 kilometers. A more likely outcome was Playa Paraíso at around 30 kilometers. The dreaded line would put me at Dorado Royale, nearly 35 kilometers away. The key, he explained, was to push hard during the first half of the swim. The Atlantic current would be pulling north, and if I didn’t stay ahead of it early, I could be swept far down the coast. The water was black. The sky was black. The air was humid, and the water was nearly 85 degrees. Despite the magnitude of the challenge, I felt ready. Most of my longest training swims had taken place in the teaching pools at Regency or Pool 1 at Gayton. Somehow, all those lonely laps had led me here. My heart pounded with anticipation. Across the channel, I could see the faint twinkling lights of the mainland.

Orlando counted me down. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Go.

I launched into the darkness.

The only light came from distant buildings and the small lights aboard the escort boat. I swam hard for the first thirty minutes, exactly as instructed. Every stroke mattered. I needed to stay ahead of the current and give myself the best chance of reaching Punta Maroma. About forty-five minutes into the swim, I looked back and saw the sun beginning to rise over Cozumel. Orange light spilled across the horizon, illuminating the clouds behind me. It was breathtaking.

Around two hours into the swim, I noticed the kayak beginning to fall behind. For the first time, I found myself ahead of the kayak and between it and the boat. Something felt wrong. Fifteen minutes later, I reached the boat and learned there was a hole in the kayak. The crew needed to retrieve it, but I was cleared to continue swimming while they kept watch from the boat. For the first time all day, I looked out at the open ocean with nothing beside me. For the remainder of the crossing, it would mostly be just me, the boat, and the water. At the next feeding stop, around two and a half hours into the swim, Orlando told me I was halfway across. I laughed. “No way. ”I had expected this swim to take seven hours or more. The news energized me. Suddenly, the impossible felt possible.

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