Picture this: Wrinkly wet hands, soggy clothes weighing you down with aching muscles, but a strong will and determination not to give up. Now you might be thinking, who would be brave enough to do that? Well, Brett Bergeron is! Brett is a Mill Creek resident, firefighter, paramedic, and emergency medical technician (EMT). 

Back in September of 2024, Brett treaded water for 24 hours at the Snohomish Aquatic Center to raise money for multiple sclerosis (MS). When asked why he wanted to raise money for MS, Brett replied that his wife, Kristen, unfortunately has the disease and has been battling it for the last 30 years. That would definitely explain why Brett chose to do a fundraiser. 

I’m going to guess that most of the people reading this wouldn’t be able to tread water for that long, so we asked Brett how he managed to stay awake? He didn't do it alone. He had some friends stop by for a visit, including a retired firefighter buddy that showed up with his guitar to play a mini show for Brett, as well as his firefighter team members. We also asked Brett how he learned to tread water so well, and he replied that he had a history in swimming and playing water polo (like football, but in the water). In addition to that, he said that to help prepare for his main event, he did some 6- to 8-hour water treading practice sessions along with riding his bike about 200 miles per week during the summer. Assuming he rode his bike for 5 days each week, that would mean he rode 40 miles per day! 

For those of you wondering if he ever wanted to give up, you’re not alone! We asked that, too. Brett replied by saying that no, he never contemplated giving up through the process, however it did get quite tricky between midnight and 6 a.m., since that is when he usually sleeps. However, Brett also drank a lot of high carbohydrate drinks throughout the challenge, as well as eating a few cheeseburgers he snuck along the way. We even asked Brett how difficult this intimidating task was, to which he simply replied it was more difficult mentally than physically.

Wow, what an amazing thing to do for his wife and other people suffering with MS! Now I have a feeling everyone really wants to know what multiple sclerosis is. To put it simply, it's a neurological disorder that causes your immune system to mistakenly attack its own healthy cells instead of bad ones. Unfortunately, MS can cause many things including bad eyesight, dizziness, clumsiness, muscle aches, and more. Brett's amazing fundraiser raised over $15,000 and 100% of the money went to the Northwest Chapter of the National MS Society. We can only hope this money will make a big difference in the lives of those with MS. 

If anyone is interested in donating, you can go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society website: nationalmssociety.org.