FIELD NOTES: CROSSING FEARLESSLY

At first glance, Jacob Venditti might look like any other waterman—fit, focused, and always in and around the water. But beneath the surface, he’s fighting a battle most can’t see. Jacob lives with cystic fibrosis, a rare genetic disease that attacks the lungs and digestive system, making every breath a conscious effort. Right now, he’s living with just 30% lung capacity, while training to paddle 80-miles across the Atlantic ocean.

This June, Jacob will lead a relay team in the Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis—a grueling endurance paddle from Bimini, Bahamas to Lake Worth Beach, Florida. It’s a feat that would challenge the healthiest of athletes. For Jacob, it’s something more: a statement of resilience, a show of defiance against a disease that has shaped—but never defined—his life.

“I may look healthy on the outside, but inside I’m constantly fighting to breathe,” Jacob says. “CF is an invisible disease. It’s daily treatments, fatigue, pain. But the ocean helps me breathe easier. It brings peace. It reminds me to keep pushing.”

Jacob isn’t paddling alone. He’s the founder of the Live Fearlessly Foundation, a nonprofit born from years of hospitalizations, near-death experiences, and hard-earned perspective. Created to uplift others living with CF and rare diseases, the foundation is grounded in the belief that life, no matter how limited it may seem, is still worth living.

“I didn’t want my suffering to be in vain,” Jacob shares. “Live Fearlessly was my way of leaving a positive footprint. I want people to know that despite the odds, they can still live with purpose.”

That mindset has already resonated with many. Inspired by warriors like Scott Johnson—a fellow CF patient, double lung transplant recipient, and Ironman finisher—and Travis Suit, the founder of the Piper’s Angels Foundation, Jacob is now stepping into their ranks. His decision to take on The Crossing is proof that people with CF can still attempt the extraordinary.

To support his effort, FLORENCE outfitted Jacob and his team with the gear that will help them take the worry off their equipment so they can focus on their paddle. Starting at midnight, paddlers will face dynamic conditions as night turns to day—warm water, intense sun exposure and open ocean weather changes.

“Wearing the Florence kit has genuinely empowered me,” he says. “It gives me confidence. It makes me feel invincible out there.”

Shortly after the Crossing Jacob will be preparing for a double lung transplant, a life-saving procedure that comes with enormous physical, emotional, and financial challenges. Every stroke he takes on the water is a reminder of what he’s fighting for—not just survival, but a future. Through the Crossing and his foundation, he’s raising both awareness and critical funds to help cover the cost of the transplant and ongoing medical care.

“I’m doing everything I can to keep moving forward,” Jacob says. “Training for this paddle while preparing for transplant surgery is intense. But this is bigger than me. If I can show others what’s possible, even when your back’s against the wall, that’s what it’s all about.”

“I hope when people see me out there on the water, they realize that anything is possible if you don’t give up,” he says. “This paddle is about breaking barriers—physical, mental, and emotional. If I can help people live fearlessly—even in the hardest times—that would be the greatest legacy I could ask for.”

To learn more and donate to Jacob's team, Crossin' Fearlessly, support here.