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The first Black woman on a U.S. Olympic swim team is diving into the Chicago River this month to raise funds for ALS research. Maritza McClendon, who won silver in 2004, continues using her platform to break barriers and unite communities for good causes. ---
Thirteen beloved UK swimming spots, including a historic stretch of the River Thames, are being considered for official bathing water status that would trigger stricter pollution monitoring and force water companies to clean up their act. Local swimmers who've been diving into these rivers for years could soon have legal protection and guaranteed water quality testing.
Amateur photographers hoping to catch a rare duck on camera accidentally captured proof of an important scientific discovery about the Chicago River's ecosystem. Their viral photos showed a white-winged scoter eating an invasive crayfish, confirming what researchers had only theorized.
For the second summer in a row, Parisians can take a refreshing dip in the Seine River, a waterway that was off-limits for 100 years. After investing over a billion euros to clean up the historic river for the 2024 Olympics, the city is welcoming swimmers back to three official spots starting July 4.
After years of campaigning, the River Thames at Ham in southwest London just became the city's first official bathing water site. Starting Friday, thousands of swimmers will finally have a monitored, safer place to take a dip in the historic river.
A tour boat captain and passengers sprang into action when a 65-year-old man fell into the icy Chicago River, performing CPR until he regained consciousness. Their quick response and monthly emergency training turned a life-threatening situation into a story of survival.
A tour boat in Western Australia captured four emus boldly swimming across the Murchison River, creating a viral moment that's charmed over 5 million people online. The rare sighting proves these flightless birds are surprisingly strong swimmers.
A motion-activated camera captured a river otter swimming along the Bronx River last June, marking the first sighting in the borough in a century. The discovery signals that decades of cleanup efforts are finally transforming one of New York City's most polluted waterways into thriving wildlife habitat.
Cullen Jones nearly drowned as a child but went on to win Olympic gold in swimming. Now he's leading a campaign to restore a 100-year-old pool in South Chicago so kids can learn the life-saving skill he mastered.
Hundreds of swimmers plunged into India's Krishna River on Sunday for an annual competition that's teaching young people a skill that could save their lives. Officials are now calling for every student to learn swimming as essential survival training.
A free app is helping travelers discover more than 130 secret freshwater swimming spots across Portugal's mountains and forests. Half the profits will fund river restoration projects to protect these natural treasures.
The River Wye just became the first river in the UK to receive cross-border legal rights protecting it from pollution. The historic charter gives the 155-mile waterway the right to flow naturally, support biodiversity, and even have its own voice in official meetings.
A new conservation project is helping critically endangered European eels recover in England's River Tees, where populations have crashed 98% since the 1980s. The "Eels of Steel" initiative is transforming how locals see these misunderstood travelers that swim 3,700 miles from the Caribbean to British rivers.
Scottish-Australian ultra-marathon swimmer Andy Donaldson just swam 55 kilometers through crocodile-infested waters in Western Australia, setting a world record. The 12-hour swim through the Ord River required navigating extreme heat, powerful currents, and freshwater crocodiles wearing only swim trunks, a hat, and goggles.
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Andy Donaldson is attempting to become the first man to hold the world record for swimming 34 miles down Australia's crocodile-packed Ord River. The 35-year-old ultramarathon swimmer, who already holds three world records, began his longest solo challenge yet on April 28.
A river once so polluted it was nearly lifeless is now a thriving ecosystem thanks to decades of conservation work. The Ottawa River Coalition is sharing lessons from one of the Midwest's most dramatic environmental comebacks.
What started as hauling washing machines out of Indiana's White River has transformed into picking up bottles and cans, proof that decades of volunteer cleanups are working. The annual community effort brings together paddlers, city workers, and neighbors to keep the state's largest river trash-free.
England is set to gain 13 new designated bathing spots, including the first ever on London's River Thames. Swimmers, councils, and brands are turning the growing wild swimming movement into a powerful force against single-use plastic pollution.
A healthy bottlenose dolphin has been spotted swimming through Melbourne's Yarra River, delighting city rowers and social media users with glimpses of marine life thriving close to the CBD. Experts say the playful visitor is likely hunting prey and shows how wildlife adapts to urban waterways.
The Obama Presidential Center welcomes visitors to Chicago's South Side this June, turning 19 acres into a space where history meets community connection. Built entirely through $850 million in donations, the campus offers free public spaces alongside a museum honoring America's first Black president.
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