Family, Friends Turn Out to Support Woman's Swim

Friends, family and even students turned out Saturday night at the to help a Farmington Hills resident and West Bloomfield Schools teacher fulfill a dream.

The family swim fundraiser, which included a bake sale, will help Jenny Birmelin put together the $10,000 she needs to swim the English Channel. Her solo swim, approved by the Channel Swimming Association, is expected to happen sometime during the week of August 19-27.

Providing the weather and tides cooperate, she will swim more than 21 miles from Shakespeare's Cliff near Dover, England to the coast of France, near Calais. To prepare, Birmelin has done a number of long, open water swims, including trips to the home of a family friend in Tawas on Lake Huron.

Birmelin's mother and father, Jan and Gary Domino, helped check in guests at Saturday's event. They've been supportive of their daughter's passion for swimming since she was crossing club pools in Birmingham, Southfield and Farmington Hills.

"We were there from eight in the morning until eight at night," Jan Domino said of Birmelin's club swimming days.

Perhaps because they have watched her grow up at the pool, the Dominos are convinced their daughter will live her dream. "Whatever Jenny tries to do, she succeeds," Jan Domino said.

In addition to Birmelin's students from in West Bloomfield, friends like Nicole Danuloff of Troy showed up to show their support.

"I'm so proud of her," said Danuloff, who co-captained the swim team with Birmelin in 1994. She said while she loves swimming, Birmelin loves the sport. "This doesn't surprise me at all."

To learn more about or to support Birmelin's English Channel swim, visit jennybirmelin.com