As a former San Diego lifeguard and firefighter, Aaron Brennan sees learning to swim and prevent drowning as life skills.

That’s why he has dedicated the past two years to being race director for the La Jolla Cove Swim, with proceeds going to the Prevent Drowning Foundation of San Diego. This year’s event — Brennan’s third — will start at 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, with races beginning and ending at La Jolla Cove.

For Brennan, seeing the evolution of the race represents a full circle.

“I was a junior lifeguard instructor in the 1990s and … was a first responder in my career and I had the tragic duty of responding to a drowning,” he said. “It is so heartbreaking because it is so preventable. It’s so shocking to live in Southern California where we have swimming weather year-round, yet every year someone loses a family member to drowning.”

After his retirement from public service, Brennan again got involved with junior lifeguards.

Or his daughter Olivia did.

A few years ago, when she completed her junior lifeguard training, Olivia participated in a ceremonial pier jump that also is a fundraiser for the Prevent Drowning Foundation.

Standing at the top of the pier with his daughter, “all I could think about is how I wanted to raise more money for the Prevent Drowning Foundation,” Brennan said.

Soon after, he connected with then-La Jolla Cove Swim director Judy Adams Halter about helping with the swim. As fate would have it, she was ready to step down and suggested that Brennan take over as race director.

He did in 2023 and brought a series of changes designed to increase participation and make more money.

In recent years there have been 1- and 3-mile divisions, with the 1-mile course making a triangle in the water off La Jolla Cove and the 3-mile course charting from The Cove to Scripps Pier and back.

Brennan also wanted a children’s race, and it was tested in La Jolla Cove during the 2023 event. It drew 51 entrants, which sealed the deal for Brennan going forward.

This year, the 3-mile event for participants 18 and older is called the Leopard Shark Swim. The 1-mile race for ages 13 and up is the Sea Lion Swim, and the 250-meter (273-yard) children’s event for ages 8-12 is called the Garibaldi Groms Swim. All the names are nods to sea life found in La Jolla waters.

“For some of these kids, it is their first open-water race,” Brennan said. “The sense of accomplishment when they come out of the water is priceless. It is the best moment of the event.”

Each year, the Cove Swim raises about $30,000 for the Prevent Drowning Foundation, enough to provide swim lessons for 300 youths citywide.

“It’s a nice way to give back,” Brennan said. “The Prevent Drowning Foundation is a 501(c)(3), so they are all funded by donations. About a third of their operating budget came from the Cove Swim last year. Every penny they get goes to their programming.”

Registration is $30 for the Garibaldi Groms, $100 for the Sea Lion and $145 for the Leopard Shark. To register or find out more, visit lajollacoveswim.com. ♦