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Navy SEALS and Gold Star Families honored
Regina Gonzalez reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Megan & Barrett Bourgeois held each other close on the shores of Gandy Beach on Sunday, as the names of more than 150 fallen Navy SEALs were individually read before the start of the Tampa Bay Frogman swim.
One of them, was their husband and father, Capt. Brian Bourgeois who was killed in a training accident two years ago.
Pictured: Megan & Barrett Bourgeois
"It was two Decembers ago, right before my 19th birthday," son Barrett Bourgeois recalled. "It was a hectic time, and it was a little crazy, but it was amazing to see how our community rallied around us."
Part of that community is the entire team of athletes that formed to trek the 3.4 miles in his honor.
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One of them, longtime swimmer Hunt Broyhill, who kept Capt. Bourgeois' picture close to his heavy heart as he ran through the surf, into the chilly water. Close by him, Barrett paddled a kayak for safety support.
"He is our honorary captain, he's 20 years old, he's so sharp," Broyhill said of Barrett. "Its so great to have him be part of this big adventure."
"It's so special to see these people building upon his legacy and finishing what we started," Barrett responded.
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The challenging swim is held each year not as a race - but as a memorial and fundraiser for the NAVY SEAL Foundation, who provides ongoing support for Gold Star families, many of whom were there to greet and thank swimmers as they crossed the finish line at American Legion in Tampa.
"It's beyond my comprehension that these men have their careers, their families, their lives to live and come out to do this swim in this weather to remember their fallen brothers and their parents too, added Gold Star mother Saundra Wirtz, who lost her son Scott Wirtz in Syria in 2019.
"It's so moving, so touching, and it means everything," she shared.
"I think that's probably been the silver lining in everything that's happened," Megan Bourgeois said of the foundation. "To see the community support and how amazing the foundation has been for us and everyone else in our same situation."
Thanks to the fundraising efforts of all participants, the event was expected to raise over $1.1 million dollars.