Alex’s Biggest Race

By: Reach for the Wall staff; Content and media provided by Julia Hoppock

We recently received an email from a colleague asking if we could assist with promoting the fundraising effort for an important documentary that is ‘in the works’. After reading the request, our response was of course! You may recall last summer the Washington Post ran this story “A cancer diagnosis gave him 18 months. Now his old swim relay team is back together.” 

Alex and his former teammates did get back together and swam the relay at the 2018 UANA Pan American Masters Championships on August 1. Their relay team went 2 minutes, 9.10 seconds, good for eighth place in the men’s 120-159 200-meter medley relay and earning them medals. They represented Sea Devil Swimming Masters, which trains at the same pool as the USA Swimming club they swam for as children.

As documented on the Seed & Spark website, Julia Hoppock wrote: ” I’m the youngest sister of the freestyler on this relay, grew up swimming summer league with these guys, and remember being simultaneously thrilled and mortified when they cheered “Go Pookie!” when I hit the wall. I swam for the same high school after they graduated, in the shadow of their unbroken relay record.  I’m also a filmmaker and when Rich told me about this reunion, I knew it was a great story. But it’s personal for me and I want to tell it right.” 

Please take two minutes to watch the trailer for the documentary:

Julia has also set up a Facebook page, with several posts documenting his journey. Simply search in Facebook: @alexsbiggestrace to follow and get updates on this project as well as Alex’s journey.

ALEX’S BIGGEST RACE is fiscally sponsored by Women in Film and Video, a 501 (c) 3 community benefit organization. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please do so via the Seed & Spark website or contact Julia at julia.hoppock@gmail.com,