US Olympics medallists, including Mary Wayte Bradburn and Rick Colella, are amongst those making waves for the Swim Across America charity next month, at an open invitation Swimathon fundraising event at Lake Washington...

The fundraiser on Saturday, September 8 is being organised by the non-profit Swim Across America, the charity that raises cash and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment via swimming-related get-togethers...

In Olympics year, the charity has launched its forthcoming cancer fundraiser involving a number of Olympic swimmers...

The Seattle Open Water Swim will include former members of the US Olympic swimming team, including medallists Mary

Wayte Bradburn, Rick Colella, Emily Silver, Janel Jorgensen McArdle, Dana Kirk, Margaret Hoelzer and others, as well as Canadian Olympic swimmer Chris Chalmers...

All are appearing at the fun event to benefit the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance... the non-profit cancer treatment centre that partners with doctors from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine and Seattle Children's...

The event offers local area swimmers the chance to swim alongside Olympics veterans on either two-mile or half-mile swims. Kids are also invited to take place with a 50m freestyle open-water fun event...

"Our goal this year is to generate more than $300,000 for the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance..." explains Janel Jorgensen McArdle, president of the charity and a former Olympic silver medallist...

In the last three years the non-profit event Swim Across America - Seattle has raised more than $500,000 for cancer research and treatment...

And in the past 25 years, Swim Across America has raised more than $40 million for cancer charities, benefiting from support at its events from Olympians from every previous Olympics, from Berlin 1936 to Beijing 2008...