Crossing the English Channel is one of the world’s most demanding endurance challenges. For Camp Hill swimmer Jeannie Zappe, completing the feat for a second time was about much more than athletic achievement—it was a mission fueled by love, resilience and a desire to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s disease.

On The Spark, Zappe reflected on her latest crossing, which came after uncertainty over whether weather conditions would even allow her to attempt the swim.  “I was told a few days before I swam that the likelihood of me getting a weather window was moving toward unlikely,” Zappe said. “When that changed… with everything going on in my life, with the Alzheimer’s at home, I was just so darn grateful. I think I touched that rock with so much gratitude and joy.”

The swim became deeply personal after her husband, Chris, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease two and a half years ago. What was originally planned as a 60th birthday challenge transformed into a fundraising campaign supporting dementia research. “In December, I decided to take it on as a fundraiser and an awareness-building campaign to help people understand what Alzheimer’s is,” she said.

The response exceeded every expectation. “My first goal was maybe $10,000… Right now we’re sitting at $37,000,” Zappe said. “I think it goes to show how important this issue is. Dementia research is so far behind, so we need to pour money into it.”

Preparing for the 21-mile swim while caring for her husband wasn’t easy. Zappe said many training days began with tears before she even entered the pool. “There were plenty of days when I sat in the Y parking lot and cried,” she said. “I decided that the Y was going to be my joy place… somehow caregivers have to find themselves and figure out how to hold onto themselves in some small way.” 

Now 60 years old, Zappe hopes her story encourages others to challenge assumptions about aging and human potential. “I do believe that age is just a number,” she said. “I actually think I was stronger than I was five years ago… To me, 60 swims the English Channel.”

When asked how she stays focused during a swim that lasts more than 15 hours, Zappe said she never thinks about the finish line. Instead, she breaks the journey into manageable pieces, focusing on one 30-minute segment at a time.

Listen to the podcast to hear the full conversation.