Over three hundred swimmers descended upon Maho Bay Beach for the 2025 Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John. There are three courses they can swim in the annual event, assisted and unassisted, landing the swimmers at nearby beaches Cinnamon, Trunk and finally Hawksnest. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)
More than 300 swimmers descended on Maho Bay Beach Sunday for Joe Kessler’s Beach to Beach Power Swim to raise funds for the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park’s kids’ swim programs, marine conservation, education outreach and more.
Swimmers chose their distance starting at Maho Bay Beach and swimming to Cinnamon Bay, Trunk Bay, or, the full 3.5 miles, to Hawksnest Bay. Teague Gleason, 15, of St. Croix took the top prize, completing the long course swim unassisted in 1 hour, 11 minutes and 17 seconds. Sabina Csak, 20, of Old Greenwich, Connecticut, took the title of fastest female unassisted, taking 1 hour, 23 minutes and 34 seconds to swim from Maho Bay to Hawksnest Bay. Sasha Poe, 16, of St. Thomas, was the top female finisher, and overall top finisher, in the intermediate unassisted course from Maho Bay to Trunk Bay.
The swim is named for Joe Kessler, who served as president of the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park for 17 years before retiring in 2018. He and his wife, Cristina Kessler, an activist and a writer who was best known in the territory for her children’s book “Hope Is Here,” about a bird that made regular migrations to St. Croix, died last April when a train struck their RV while they were on a road trip in Taylorville, Illinois.
Swimmers in the unassisted Hawksnest-bound group launched their way through the waters of Maho Bay during the Beach to Beach Power Swim, being captured on camera through the lens of an underwater diver and photographer. (Photo by Andre Hernandez)Neon yellow-capped swimmers make their way in the shortest swim route to Cinnamon Bay Beach from Maho Bay on St. John during the island’s annual Power Swim. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Not long after the sun rose over St. John, volunteers were tattooing swimmers as they prepared for the 2025 Beach to Beach Power Swim, kicking off at Maho Bay Beach. (Photo by Andre Hernandez)Kalonji Von Schilling, 16, of St. Croix, was the top male finisher in the intermediate unassisted course from Maho Bay to Trunk Bay during the Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John, completing the course in 49 minutes and 41 seconds. (Photo by Andre Hernandez)Longtime friends from Washington, Minnesota and Georgia came together on St. John to swim the 2025 Beach to Beach Power Swim over Memorial Day weekend. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)It was a flurry activity during registration in the early hours of Sunday before the kickoff of the 2025 Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John. (Photo by Andre Hernandez)Veteran Source reporter Amy Roberts swam the intermediate course from Maho Bay to Trunk Bay during the Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John. (Photo by Bill Stelzer)Azalea Nesbitt, 7, was the youngest swimmer at the 2025 Beach to Beach Power Swim, competing in the short course swim from Maho Bay to Cinnamon Bay on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Teague Gleason, 15, took the top prize at the 2025 Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John, completing the long course swim from Maho Bay to Hawksnest Bay unassisted in 1 hour and 11 minutes and 17 seconds. (Photo by Kaitlyn Cummings)Orange triangular buoys mark the course along the 2025 Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John. (Photo by Andre Hernandez)Sabina Csak took the title of fastest female unassisted in the 2025 Beach to Beach Power Swim, taking 1 hour, 23 minutes and 34 seconds to swim from Maho Bay to Hawksnest Bay. (Video still by Bill Stelzer)Sasha Poe, 16, of St. Thomas, tattooed with bib number 340, was the top female finisher, and overall top finisher, in the intermediate unassisted course from Maho Bay to Trunk Bay during the Power Swim on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)St. Thomas’ Reagan Uszenski, 13, arrived first to Cinnamon Bay in the short course unassisted during the Power Swim on St. John. (Photo by Cleo Kinsella)Sportsmanship was on display as friends make their way to shore at Cinnamon Bay after completing the short course of the Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John. (Photo by Cleo Kinsella)Mustering up a final push of energy, swimmers race up the sand at Trunk Bay Beach to the Finish banner where their swim time will be clocked during the Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)In her first time participating in the Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John, local Jessica Mathenia arrives on shore at Trunk Bay after completing the intermediate course unassisted. Her eyes stayed focused on the finish line, where her husband and children were cheering for her as she finished. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Just a few seconds ahead of his son, Pat Norris of Texas finishes the intermediate course unassisted at the 2025 Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)While photographing swimmers from beneath the water’s surface, photographer Andre Hernandez spotted an unofficial participant in the Beach to Beach Power Swim: a stingray. (Photo by Andre Hernandez)Swimmers at Cinnamon Bay show off their medals after swimming the short course during the Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John. (Photo by Andre Hernandez)Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park Executive Director Tonia Lovejoy is the master of ceremonies at the gazebo at Trunk Bay, where swimmers, volunteers, sponsors, and friends gathered for lunch and awards after the Beach to Beach Power Swim. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Volunteers cook and distribute food and drinks during the post Power Swim lunch at Trunk Bay on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Friends, new and old, gather in the shade to eat lunch and connect following the 2025 Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Brad Flowers of St. Thomas celebrates his win, being the top male finisher in the long course assisted swim at the Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)
