With education, all things are possible.

     Five weeks until the swim begins.  There is so much to worry about--will the wetsuit keep me warm enough, will my training pay off, will my Jeep survive, will there be places to camp,  will the kayak be made in time... The list goes on, but the preceding concerns are petty and irrelevant. 
     I know I am lucky to be one of the 5% of the world's population born in the United States, especially considering my stubborn independent nature.  It was lucky that I was born at a time that women could join the military (Viet Nam era veteran) and receive the GI Bill.  If not for the GI Bill, I would not have a college degree.  I was lucky my Dad was caring and compassionate enough to take custody of me and my siblings at a time when Dads rarely had custody.  And I was lucky to have a Dad that never said, "You can't do .....because you are a girl."  I played with dolls, jacks and jump ropes but also had the freedom to climb trees, build forts and roam the foothills of San Bernardino. (I was also lucky I never ran into Charles Manson's gang!)   I was also lucky to meet and fall in love a man secure enough with himself to let me be myself.  I am lucky. 
     Unfortunately there are too many girls in the world not so lucky. I read about them in the newspapers being buried alive for talking with boys, or being stoned to death for being raped, or only allowed to go to school if residing at a UN displacement camp during an armed conflict.  I see them on the news being sold into slavery or child pornography.  I see them in my classroom and in my neighborhood where there are an array of issues that keep them from going to school, getting a living wage job, or being a good role model for their children.  Some are physically abused; a friend flunked out of high school in lieu of attending class with bruises from  beatings.  Some are psychologically abused; I had a student drop out of college after her husband put a gun on the table between her and the door and said, "Go ahead--leave." She eventually did but without an education and dependent on social programs for support for her and her daughter.  Some are raped or molested; their confidence and self esteem squelched.  Some made mistakes and chose life, birthing  babies before high school graduation and now struggling with minimum wage jobs, child care, and dependent on social programs for food and housing.  Yes, there are fathers but according to the courts, last year those fathers were two billion dollars behind on child support payments.     
     There are so many destructive forces and no easy solutions.  The stories I hear from women and men are depressing, but there is hope.  And that hope is in education.  I am not so ignorant as to believe education will stop all the atrocities and bring an end to the need for social programs,  but I am optimistic enough to know that with education, all things are possible! 
    
swim on....mimi

Ohio River Swim Mission Statement

During the summer of 2010, Mimi Hughes will swim the 981 miles of the Ohio River to raise funds and awareness for organizations that support the life skills and academic education of girls. The swim will focus on select organizations from the rural and urban areas of the Ohio River Valley to the remote and fragile environments of the Middle East and Africa that effectively promote education in girls and women. In return, these women and girls will transform themselves, their families and their communities.

Mimi’s Biography

My husband, Forrest Hughes, and I are in our 31st year of marriage, and together we raised our four social/environmentally responsible children. My education experience and passion is in working with people with reading and learning weaknesses, especially dyslexics. It is difficult to recall my accomplishments and awards. It is what I am doing now that matters, but for those that are unsure of my validity I offer the following: In 1996 I carried the Olympic Torch an honor I received for being a “dreamer and a doer.” In 1997 I swam to Russia from Alaska for peace and healing between nations. In 2004 I completed a swim of the Tennessee River for environmental responsibility. In 2007 I completed a 2,880km swim of the Danube River through eight countries for social/environmental responsibility. In 2008 I completed a swim of the Drava and Mura Rivers in Europe for social/environmental responsibility. In 2009 I was interviewed by German Radio as being one of the Strong Women of the World and interviewed by Fur Su (For You) magazine as being one of the most important women of the last 100 years. I was featured in two documentaries for my European swims, one in Austria and one in Serbia and followed by the media throughout Europe. The Tennessee Legislature honored me for my Russian swim and the Governor of Tennessee sent me a congratulatory letter at the end of my Danube River swim…Congratulations Mr. Hughes! My most memorable honor happened in Slovakia while swimming the Danube River. At the end of a media interview, the female newscaster shook my hand and said, “You are my hero!” Her words overwhelmed me with emotion. It is an honor to be someone’s hero, but what I wanted to say was, “Go, do, follow your dreams and be your own hero.”

Why is taking part meaningful?

As Mary Wollenscraft stated in her book written over 200 years ago, “action verifies empowerment.” When someone becomes a part of the Ohio River Swim, they are verifying the belief that one person can make a positive difference and that person can be her/him. In becoming a part of the Ohio River Swim, you are accepting the challenge to be more socially responsible and in support of peaceful, positive changes in the world. It is easy to become a part of the swim. The time investment is small, the personal benefits gratifying and your message to the world tremendous.

It’s about giving not taking!

Education is a social responsibility, a human right. Those choosing to become a part of the swim are offering their selfless support of the mission statement and contributing to a more socially responsible world. I swim as the vessel for creating awareness and inspiring people to raise funds for the organizations listed on my ning site www.womenacrosstheworld.ning.com . I act independently and am not a part of any of the organizations for which I am swimming. As an honorary Rotarian, I live by their motto, “Service Above Self.”