Janel Jorgensen McArdle, President of Swim Across America, made a splash as a teenager winning two gold medals at the Pan American Games and silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in South Korea. At Stanford University, she set four American records, was a 27-time All American and won 15 NCAA championship titles.
After her career, she hung up her swimsuit and spent 12 years working in the corporate world including strategic development responsibilities at Oracle.
But in between the time spent on conference calls, business trips, office cubicles, lunch meeting and late night, Janel volunteered for Swim Across America. “I felt there was something more to do,” explained Janel with her boundless energy, trademark smile and sparkling eyes.
After volunteering for nearly two decades, Jorgensen decided to dedicate her life to helping others. Ditching the business suits, she went back to swimsuits in 2005. Entirely focused on increasing Swim Across America’s impact on communities, families, individuals and cancer research, she began racking up the air miles to travel across the country raising charitable funding and corporate support. Together with hundreds of community groups and thousands of people swimming in pools, lakes and oceans, Swim Across America has raised over US$40 million for cancer research, prevention and treatment.
As Janel envisioned, she went back to her roots of swimming and found her niche – making a big impact on funding research and programs on cancer research through swimming events across the United States.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.