Swim It Forward
For young women rising through Adversity, Swim it forward fuels the dream.
My Story
Swim It Forward was born from my own story, a story of adversity, resilience, and the healing power of water.
In my early 20’s, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a chronic illness that changed the way I experienced my body and my limits. As an athlete, this diagnosis could have ended everything, but for me, it was just the beginning. But through the turbulence, the setbacks, the uncertainty, the fatigue, I kept moving. I found my way to the finish line of Ironman, completed multiple triathlons, and eventually found my rhythm in swimming. Today, I compete in Masters swim meets, take on open water endurance events, and coach others with a passion I’ve earned in waves.
But my adversity wasn’t just physical. Life’s challenges have come in many forms: relationships that shifted, dreams that stretched, and the heartbreaking loss of close women friends who once stood beside me, all of them gone far too soon, with dreams left unfinished.
They are part of this story too.
They are part of why I created Swim It Forward.
Swim It Forward is for the young woman with a dream, a story, and the courage to rise again. It’s a way for me and for my business to give back. To create something bigger than myself. Something that supports not just sport or achievement, but healing, purpose, and becoming.
As a coach, as a business owner, leader in the community, and as a parent to two strong young women, I’ve seen how complex, beautiful, and messy life can be. Navigating that role has made me more grounded, more compassionate, and more resilient than ever. It’s reminded me again and again that we don’t rise alone — we rise because someone sees us, stands beside us, and believes in us.
Swim It Forward is that belief in motion.
It’s a ripple, powered by every woman I’ve known, every lesson I’ve lived, and every dream I’ve dared to chase.
“Where dreams begin and ripples never end.”
Swim It Forward
A Coaching Model with Purpose
Swim It Forward is a give-back initiative that supports young women (18-30) who have faced adversity and are ready to chase a dream. They all have one thing in common, and they love swimming! 5% of proceeds from EVERY Sarah Freeman Coaching offering go directly toward helping a young woman rise each year through mentorship, financial support, and community.
Each year, Swim It Forward helps support one young woman’s journey to chase her dream. From educational fees, swimming event costs, swimming the English Channel or another epic swim you are dreaming up, to the Olympics, to helping build a business related to swimming, this initiative is one small way we can make big ripples together.
Because when one young woman swims forward, we all do!
Meet The 2027 Dreamer:
Miu Tanaka
Swim It Forward brings me into the story of a remarkable young woman who has navigated adversity and carries a dream that deserves to be believed in.
This year, that young woman is 21-year-old Miu Tanaka.
Her journey through challenges with food, body image, and her relationship with sport, alongside what she has already achieved in the water, speaks to something far greater than swimming.
Miu doesn’t carry one dream. She carries many. And what drew me to her wasn’t only her determination or the distances she has swum, but the authenticity, self-awareness, and quiet and humble strength behind it all.
I believe her story holds an important message for young women and girls navigating their own relationships with their bodies, sport and what they believe is possible for themselves.
This is why Swim It Forward exists. To stand alongside young women near and far, honour the journeys that have shaped them and help bring their dreams to life.
Miu, I’m honoured to be a small part of yours. And I can’t wait for others to get to know the woman behind these extraordinary dreams. You can follow Miu’s journey on Instagram: Click here
Where dreams begin, and ripples never end.
About Miu Tanaka
Miu Tanaka is a 21-year-old ultramarathon swimmer based in Sydney, Australia. Her goal is to swim in some of the world’s most beautiful waters, push her limits through ultramarathon swimming, and complete both the World Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming and the Ocean’s Seven.
Miu was born in Tokyo, Japan, and started swimming at two years old. Having lived in Japan, France, Hong Kong, and Australia, competitive swimming was a big part of her life growing up.
At 11, she began struggling with food and body image. She believed training harder and becoming thinner would make her faster, so she trained 8–10 times a week while severely restricting her food intake. At 15, she was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, severely underweight, and forced to stop all exercise. Although she restored her weight, her psychological recovery was a much longer journey. She struggled to accept her body and continued to battle the thoughts and fears that had shaped her relationship with swimming.
Through Vladswim, her coach Vlad and her teammates, Miu, discovered a completely different relationship with swimming. She learned that it wasn’t always about being the fastest, but about loving the water, enjoying training, and challenging herself alongside people who shared the same dream. She began to understand that food was not something to fear but something her body needs to perform, recover, and feel strong. Swimming became something she genuinely loved again, rather than something she used to prove herself.
In 2024, Miu completed her first 20 km swim at Great Keppel Island, beginning her ultramarathon swimming journey. In 2025, she completed the 34 km Derwent River, 25 km Port to Pub and 26 km Palm to Shelly, becoming the first female winner of Palm to Shelly. She then completed a solo crossing of the English Channel, followed two weeks later by an English Channel double-crossing relay with a Hong Kong team. In 2026, she returned to Tasmania and became the first female and second person ever to swim 60 km from New Norfolk to Bruny Island.
Following a shoulder injury and rehab, she returned a month later to complete the 25 km Great Lake crossing in 11–14°C water, again becoming the first female and second person to complete it. Most recently, she completed the 35 km Catalina Channel in 11 hours and 53 minutes.
To Miu, these achievements are just a celebration of her training and preparation. From multiple 8-hour swims, freezing 4 am winter night swims, ice baths, and countless challenging days in the ocean, she has learned that the finish line is only one part of ultramarathon swimming. What matters most to her is loving the water, enjoying the process, and discovering what she is capable of along the way.
Her next goals are the Manhattan Island swim to complete the World Triple Crown and the Cook Strait as part of her pursuit of the Ocean Seven. Along the way, she will continue exploring Tasmania’s beautiful remote waters, beginning with the Gordon River in March 2027.
Outside swimming, Miu is a third-year Clinical Exercise Physiology and Exercise Science student at the University of New South Wales and a personal trainer at Vision Personal Training, supporting clients to achieve their goals. After graduating, she hopes to pursue a career in geriatric rehabilitation, helping people maintain their independence, health, and quality of life.
Miu’s message to others is to always do what you love and pursue your dreams. There’s no limit until you set one. Keep smiling, and celebrate every win along the way.
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2026 Dreamer Christine Freak
Christine Freak as our 2026 Swim It Forward Dreamer. Each year, I recognize a young woman whose relationship with the water reflects courage, resilience, and a willingness to keep moving forward, even when the path hasn’t been easy.
Christine has been chosen because of the strength and heart she brings to everything she does. She has navigated significant adversity in her life, and—without bypassing any of the hard parts—has continued to dream, to swim, and to show up for herself and others.
Over the coming months, I will be sharing more about Christine’s story, her dream, and her journey with Swim It Forward. For now, you can read her bio below to get to know her a little more—and follow along with her updates on Instagram at @christine.swims
She is an ultra-marathon swimmer based in Sydney, Australia. She is just about to dive into her next swim, which is the 34 km Derwent River Big Swim in Tasmania, part of the Australian Triple Crown series. Growing up in inland regional parts of Australia, with rivers and dams, she is excited to do a freshwater river swim. The water temperatures have been looking pretty chilly this season, but she is seeing this as a good training opportunity to test her cold water tolerance as she works towards the English Channel in August 2026. The English Channel is a swim she always dreamed of doing, and it's extra special that it'll be around the 100-year Centennial of Trudy Ederle, the first female to complete the swim.
While she always dreamed of doing this swim, it wasn’t until a melanoma diagnosis at age 24 that changed her perspective on having dreams sitting there for “one day”. She did her first marathon swim age 26, just 6 weeks after she got the initial “all clear”, and since then have completed many swims such as a 24km circumnavigation of Bora Bora, the Gibraltar Strait from Spain to Morrocco (14.4km), Palm to Shelly Beach in Sydney (26km), circumnavigation of Great Keppel Island (20km), and several 10km marathon swims. While completing big swims is super fun, for her, she likes to see the dream as the everyday life that forms the journey behind it, and living a life that supports the ultimate goal of being happy and healthy. For her, that’s this crazy, beautiful sport and all the great people in our swim community!
Outside of swimming, she works in water management, has a master’s degree in environmental law (water law), and in her spare time, you can find her hanging out with the sea turtles at home in Manly.
Her message to others would be to go and chase your dreams, particularly the big ones that scare you, because the only thing scarier than taking that leap is not.
Post Dream Story Coming Soon!
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What Is Swim It Forward?
Swim It Forward is a movement born from resilience, shaped by community, and driven by the desire to make waves that matter.
This initiative supports one young woman every year who has faced adversity or facing and is ready to pursue a dream. Through a unique combination of mentorship and sponsorship.
Swim It Forward has been bubbling under the surface for years, shaped by my own journey through chronic illness, endurance sport, and personal transformation. It’s inspired by the women around me: those chasing bold dreams, those lifting others up, and those whose dreams were cut short but still ripple through us.
Most recently, it’s been brought to life through the courage of a young woman that attempted a Guinness World Record in open water swimming — her bravery sparked the first ripple.
This is my way of giving back.
This is where dreams begin and ripples never end.
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Mentorship
Swim It Forward is more than a the financial support, it’s a relationship, and journey and the beautiful in-betweens.
Each recipient is offered mentorship throughout her journey, led by me “Sarah” who’s walked through adversity and found strength in the water.
As part of the Swim It Forward experience, the dreamer is supported not only with resources, but also with heart. This mentorship isn’t rigid or formal, it’s intuitive, encouraging, and shaped by her needs as she pursues something brave.
I’ve navigated chronic illness, setbacks, and the deep desire to rise again through movement, endurance, and water. And now, I want to share what I’ve learned with young women who are ready to dream big and dive in.
Whether she’s chasing open water, Olympic trials, English Channel, education, starting a business or a new beginning, I’ll be beside her near or far.
Mentorship here means someone who sees you, hears you, believes in you, and weaves something special into your dream you are chasing!
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Support Swim It Forward
Additional ways to support!
One young woman. One big dream. One ripple at a time.
Swim It Forward is fueled by the belief that when we invest in one woman’s dream, we change more than just her story, we spark a ripple that reaches far beyond the water.
Each year, 5% of all proceeds from Sarah Freeman Coaching go directly toward supporting one young woman who has faced adversity and is ready to rise into her dream!
But we can’t do it alone
How You Can Support
1. Offer Resources or Opportunities
Do you have gear, event access, training space, or a meaningful experience to share? We love creative ways to support dreams.
2. Make a Donation
All additional funds raised go directly to enhancing the Swim It Forward experience, helping each recipient go even further.
3. Spread the Word
Share her story. Talk about Swim It Forward. Every ripple matters.
Want to Get Involved?
Let’s talk about how you can be part of the ripple.
Email: sarahfreemancoaching@gmail.com
Social media follow: Instagram @sarahfreemancoaching
