MISSION STATEMENT:

Swim For Lungs exists to support lung transplant patients through the community and spirit of swimming. For families already carrying the emotional weight of a life-threatening illness, the financial burdens can be overwhelming. Thus, we believe that everyone deserves that second chance at a beautiful life through the power of swimming.

Every year, our open water swim from La Jolla Cove to La Jolla Shores brings swimmers, volunteers, and supporters together in partnership with the UC San Diego Lung Transplant Patient Assistance Fund. Your participation and generosity directly support patients facing the financial and emotional weight of transplant care from travel and recovery costs to the everyday burdens that come after a life-saving surgery.

By joining Swim For Lungs, you’re helping build a tradition of hope, resilience, and community for people who need it most. Let’s Make Waves Together. 

Action Statement

SWIM FOR LUNGS 2026: OUR FIRST ANNUAL OPEN WATER SWIM

This October, Swim For Lungs is launching its first annual open water swim fundraiser—a community-powered effort to support lung transplant patients through the UC San Diego Lung Transplant Patient Assistance Fund.

Our Mission Is Simple: A Second Chance Through Swimming

For patients navigating transplant care, they must also think about their future—a lifetime of ongoing costs, medication, and recovery. Every dollar raised through Swim For Lungs goes directly toward easing that burden for patients and families in our community.

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IN THE LEAD-UP

We’ve been sharing real stories from real patients like Erinn, a double lung transplant recipient and Transplant Games athlete, and Tom, a longtime UC San Diego Health patient to help our community understand exactly who this cause supports, and why it matters.

JOIN THE MISSION

This is only the beginning. If you’d like to be part of the first year of what we hope becomes a lasting San Diego tradition, we invite you to register, volunteer, donate, or simply follow along.

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