Swim Like a SEAL

Two Moore County moms, Sarah Meyers and May Lee, recently traveled all the way to Boston for the Navy SEAL’s eighth annual Boston Frogman Swim (a rigorous 5K). Most swimmers pick warm, fun places like Tampa, but these two chose cold and dark Boston just because it would be more of a challenge. In case it wasn’t already clear, swimmer Sarah is not an average person. She’s a 4th generation “military brat”, veteran, special operations military spouse, and a Naval Academy Women’s Swimming alumni. May Lee, cut from a similar cloth, is a Marine Corps reservist and Sarah’s safety kayaker.

The Frogman Swim Series aims to raise national awareness to the Special Warfare community and the Navy SEAL Foundation, offering support and assistance service members and their families. Every swimmer represents a fallen SEAL. For Sarah that was Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Zackary “Zack” Miller II, a close family friend.

Zack endured seven deployments and received a Purple Heart during his career but in 2021, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, stage 4 glioblastoma. Only six weeks later, Zack was gone. Sarah hoped to bring attention to glioblastoma with her swim.

She began her race prep this past April after her former teammate, May, invited her to participate. Sarah also credits May for “having her six” and keeping her calm throughout training and the event itself.

Sarah ended up coming in first place, finishing the 5k in 1 hour and 7 minutes. “I didn’t expect the grief that came over me to propel me to be so far ahead,” says Sarah. She says whenever emotion surged, she was anchored by her personal mantra: “Make Zack proud.”