Adina O’Neill’s Backwards Boston Light Swim: 8 Miles for Swim Safety
Jul 01,2026 | Maritonia
Some swims are measured by distance.
Some are measured by time.
And some are measured by the people they help bring closer to the water.
On July 20, 2026, local swim instructor and endurance athlete Adina O’Neill will take on an extraordinary open-water challenge in Boston Harbor: an 8-mile reverse Boston Light Swim route, from South Boston out to the Boston Lighthouse — entirely on her back.
The Boston Light Swim is one of the most historic open-water swims in the United States. The traditional route has been part of Boston’s open-water swimming culture since 1907, and the swim is known for its cold water, changing conditions, and long-distance demands. But Adina’s attempt brings something different to this historic route.
She is not only swimming the course in reverse.
She is swimming it backstroke.
Face up. Eyes to the sky. Mile after mile.
For most open-water swimmers, the idea of swimming long distance without constantly sighting forward is already difficult to imagine. In open water, there are no lane lines, no walls, and no perfectly still surface. There is wind, glare, chop, boat movement, shifting current, and the constant need to stay calm while the environment keeps changing.
That is what makes Adina’s challenge so powerful. It is not just an endurance swim. It is a statement about courage, trust, and moving forward even when the path does not look traditional.
Adina is the founder and head joy coach of Team B*REAL, an endurance sport community built for athletes of every size, color, identity, age, and ability. Through swim and triathlon coaching, workshops, and training programs, she helps people feel welcome in spaces where they may have once felt intimidated, unseen, or unsure if they belonged.
Her work is not only about performance. It is about access. It is about confidence. It is about helping people build a new relationship with water, movement, and their own bodies.
That mission is at the heart of this Boston Light Swim attempt.
Adina is using this challenge to raise funds for adult learn-to-swim scholarships, supporting people who cannot afford private swim lessons. As a swim instructor, she has seen how much courage it takes for adults to enter the water for the first time, to learn how to float, to put their face in, to breathe, to trust themselves, and eventually to discover that the water can become a place of freedom instead of fear.
This is why her swim matters.
It is easy to look at an 8-mile open-water challenge and see only the athlete. The training. The distance. The physical difficulty.
But behind this swim are the adults who are still learning. The people who never had access to swim lessons. The parents who want to feel safe in the water with their children. The athletes who never felt like they looked the part. The swimmers who are still trying to believe that they belong.
Adina’s attempt is called “backwards” because she will be swimming on her back. But everything about this journey moves forward.
Forward for swim safety.
Forward for adult learners.
Forward for inclusive endurance sport.
Forward for anyone who has ever felt that it was too late to begin.
At Maritonia, we are proud to support Adina’s journey.
We believe performance swim gear should serve real swimmers in real conditions — not only on race day, but through long training sessions, cold mornings, open-water uncertainty, and personal goals that require patience and courage.
In open water, clear vision is more than a small detail. It helps a swimmer stay calm. It helps them remain present. It helps them trust their equipment when the light changes, when the water moves, and when the swim becomes long.
Adina’s Boston Light Swim is not simply a story about distance. It is a story about using one person’s challenge to create more safety, confidence, and possibility for others.
Maritonia is honored to be seen on this journey.
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