USH X Swim Alcatraz 2026

On October 17, 2026, the Usher Syndrome Society will host a swim from Alcatraz to shore in honor of a crossing that Rebecca Alexander completed more than a decade ago. The event will include 20 swimmers in total: 10 individuals living with Usher syndrome and 10 support swimmers.

The Alcatraz crossing is symbolic of the challenges of living with Usher syndrome. Usher syndrome causes progressive vision and hearing loss, and during the swim, most hearing devices must be removed while swimmers navigate dark, unpredictable open water. The experience offers a rare glimpse into the uncertainty and progressive sensory loss individuals with Usher syndrome face every day.

Rebecca is believed to be the first known person with Usher syndrome to successfully swim from Alcatraz to shore. Now, more than ten years later, with further vision loss and no functional hearing without the use of implants, she will return to the water alongside nine other swimmers living with Usher syndrome and ten support swimmers to raise awareness and funds for Usher syndrome research.