{"id":8637,"date":"2022-10-22T06:59:55","date_gmt":"2022-10-22T13:59:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/?p=50000003306"},"modified":"2022-10-21T14:24:22","modified_gmt":"2022-10-21T21:24:22","slug":"kobe-jackson-crossing-paddle-catalina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/news\/kobe-jackson-crossing-paddle-catalina","title":{"rendered":"Paddle from Catalina to Long Beach honors young swimmer who died last year"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Long Beach aquatic community tragically lost a young member in August 2021<\/a> when Kobe Jackson passed away in his sleep. He was 22.<\/p>\n

To honor his memory and raise money for the causes he cared about most, a group of Jackson\u2019s friends and family paddled together from Catalina Island to Long Beach last weekend on Oct. 15.<\/p>\n

A forecasted storm threatened to cancel the memorial fundraising event, but the weather cleared perfectly for the seven-hour, 31-mile journey. The wind even shifted to push the paddlers, as if Jackson had their backs.<\/p>\n

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Kobe Jackson. Courtesy photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cHe lived a great life and he was always pushing the limits, so let\u2019s do something while we\u2019re here right now in honor of him,\u201d said Jackson\u2019s friend Zach O\u2019Connor.<\/p>\n

Jackson was part of the class of 2017 at Wilson High where he was a swimmer and played water polo. He was ASB class president as a senior before continuing his water polo career at Long Beach City College. Jackson was also a member of the Long Beach Lifeguard program.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was always attempting to be the life of the party,\u201d said Eric Berg, who was Jackson\u2019s swim coach at Wilson. \u201cHe had a good sense of humor and was quick with the jokes. \u2026 And he was always willing to give up a piece of him to help out others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jackson went on to become an EMT and a graduate of the Rio Hondo Fire Academy. He was also a swim instructor at the Long Beach Yacht Club.<\/p>\n

\u201cKobe was an extremely hard-working guy,\u201d O\u2019Connor said. \u201cHe was super dedicated and passionate about everything he did. Whatever it was. We also did the Rio Hondo fire academy as well and he was absolutely crushing it. If he had his mind set on something he would just blow you out of the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Friends and family of Kobe Jackson arrive in Alamitos Bay after paddling the 31 miles from Catalina to Long Beach in honor of Jackson, who died last year. Photo by Tracey Roman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jackson\u2019s Wilson classmates O\u2019Connor, 22, and Max Vandevert came up with the idea to do a memorial paddle from Catalina to Long Beach in July, and a bunch of Jackson\u2019s friends and family quickly scheduled the event with the help of many across the Long Beach aquatic community. The paddle is inspired by a similar event held in Newport Beach for Ben Carlson, a lifeguard who lost his life in the line of duty.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted it to be an endurance event that was tough to signify the hard work and dedication Kobe had put towards aquatics,\u201d friend and classmate Paige Gurich said. \u201cBeing able to put ourselves in a situation that we knew was going to be tough but it was worth it in the long run because we got to remember Kobe and be with him in that time we were out on the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gurich took the lead on putting together the GoFundMe campaign<\/a> that has already raised over $8,000 for scholarships that will go to Wilson boys\u2019 aquatics, ASB and Long Beach Lifeguard recipients.<\/p>\n