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We are raising funds for The Sophie Fund, a nonprofit that supports mental health initiatives aiding young people in the Ithaca, NY area. The organization was founded by family and friends of Sophie Hack MacLeod, a Cornell University student who died by suicide in 2016. By supporting The Sophie Fund and its great work, we want young people to know that they are worthy and that meaningful help is available to them.
This special event marks the 10th anniversary of my (Bridgette) solo swim of Cayuga, at 38 miles, the longest Finger Lake—and the moment I met Claire, the only other woman who had swum the lake before me, back in 1984. Our paths crossed that weekend in a way that felt like fate. Claire, tracking my swim from Maine, jumped in her car when she realized I was going to make it and surprised me by joining my support crew mid-lake—suiting up and swimming the final stretch with me after introducing herself in the water with the unforgettable words, “Let’s bring this swim home.”
Since then, we’ve trained together like reflections—sharing a deep bond forged through open water, personal loss, and shared purpose. We both lost our fathers, then our mothers, around the same time. And heartbreakingly, we each lost a nephew to suicide.
This year, we’re returning to Cayuga as a two-person relay team—swimming not just in celebration, but for a cause close to our hearts. We invite you to follow our journey and support our cause with an amount he feels right to you – $1, $2, $10 per mile for the 38, or another amount. This swim is not only about endurance—it’s about remembrance, connection, and hope.
Support The Sophie Fund: The Sophie Fund
Dates: August 8–10, 2025
Location: Cayuga Lake, NY
Relay Swimmers: Bridgette Hobart-Janeczko & Claire DeBoer
Cause: Mental health awareness
Together, we swim for those we’ve lost—and for those still fighting.