I’m reaching out to let you know about a difficult situation affecting our beloved Master’s Swim Coach Julie Hardt.
Julie is a brilliant University of Georgia grad, PhD from University of Western Australia, former American Record Holder, coach of the Carson, Nevada Tigersharks, coach of the 2024 Paralympic swim team, Pacific Swimming coach and swimmer (age group and Masters), wife of Brenda, and Dog mom of Freo.
Recently, she experienced a serious medical emergency that requires immediate and ongoing treatment of a cavernous malformation located in the midbrain of her brain stem. This group of blood vessels has been bleeding, causing Julie stroke-like symptoms that have worsened to the point of needing an intensive, invasive, and risky surgery.
As a result, Coach Julie has had to step away from coaching. She is currently facing significant financial burdens related to medical expenses, and as a swimming community, we can help ease that load. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to support Julie through this challenging time, and I’m hoping you will consider sharing her story with others.
You can find the GoFundMe page here: https://gofund.me/df076920 where you can read more about her life story.
I know many of us have been positively impacted by Coach Julie’s guidance and dedication. This is a great opportunity for us to show our support and give back to someone who has given so much to our swimming community. I hope you will consider giving to the campaign.
Thank you for your time and support, and I know Coach Julie and Brenda will be incredibly grateful for anything we can do to assist during this difficult time.