Nevzat Arda Agir, a rising junior at Locust Valley High School and long-distance swimmer, navigated the prestigious 20 Bridges Swim around Manhattan on July 27 and the two-mile Swim Across America event in Glen Cove on Aug. 2.
Agir, 16, is one of the youngest international swimmers to complete the 28.5-mile (46 kilometer) course, needing only eight hours and 23 minutes. The 20 Bridges Swim is considered one of the most difficult open water events in the world due to strong current, unpredictable waves and dense boat traffic. At the Glen Cove swim at Pryibil Beach, Agir performed locally with the support of friends and family.
Agir didn’t just swim for himself, but in an effort to raise funds for cancer awareness and research for Swim Across America at each event. This is a cause close to Agir, whose grandfather is a cancer survivor.
Last school year, Agir was one of the founding members of the inaugural boys varsity swimming team at Locust Valley High School. He and his peers have quickly put the team on the map with impressive performances at the 2025 county championships in the winter.
In August 2024, Agir started on his long-distance swimming journey by completing the 4.3-mile Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim off the coast of Istanbul in his native Turkey in 56 minutes. With several challenging events behind him, the accomplished swimmer will now set his sights to another year helping the Falcons to victory and preparing for the English Channel Relay in August 2026.