Brent Suriano takes on NYC Navy Seal Swim to honor veterans
Brent Suriano, senior director of private wealth, has always admired those who’ve served in the military. At Synovus, he’s a member of the bank’s Veterans Employee Resource Group even though he has not served, making him an ally. “I've always been an avid proponent of our military service members,” Suriano shares. To show his support, in August 2024, he raised more than $5,000 and swam the Navy Seal Foundation’s NYC Navy Seal Swim to honor veterans everywhere.
“This event caught my attention because I come from a generationally military family,” he shares. His grandfather, father-in-law and uncles served in the military. As he embarked on the swim, they were his inspiration.
Suriano’s competitive spirit is a defining trait that gives him an edge in his wealth services role with the bank. “My competitive drive is a pillar of who I am. It keeps me grounded in motivating and guiding my team to perform at the highest level,” he says. “It represents a duality of driving individual achievements and the team’s collective success. Our competitiveness creates an environment where our private wealth team members are encouraged to push boundaries and continuously improve.”
For years Suriano has tested his own endurance. “Every year for the past four years, I do a physical challenge to push me from a growth perspective,” he says. His training started in October 2023 and lasted until shortly before he traveled to New York for the swim in August. During those months, he recorded more than 70 hours of training. These personal challenges shaped him into the resilient leader he is today.
“My competitive drive is a pillar of who I am. It keeps me grounded in motivating and guiding my team to perform at the highest level.”
“The Navy Seal Swim experience emphasized the importance and power of being a part of a team,” Suriano says. “To perform and achieve at your individual best, it takes the success of the entire team. Your commitment to the team mission will lift others and, ultimately, your performance.”
Suriano admits the swim was one of the most strenuous physical events he’s participated in. Participants swam from Liberty Park New Jersey to the Statue of Liberty to Ellis Island and then to Battery Park in Manhattan. Each swimmer completed 100 pushups and 22 pull-ups at each stop, honoring the sacrifices and struggles veterans face.
The purpose of the foundation’s NYC Navy Seal Swim is for military members, veterans and civilians to unite and raise money to help the nonprofit meet the needs of veterans and their families. The foundation closes gaps beyond the scope of the Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs. This includes scholarships for veterans, their spouses and children, including wellness programs, funding college entrance exams, and more.
Suriano had to prove he was physically capable of competing in the swim as a civilian and someone without military training. After months of training and weekly swims in a local lake, Suriano reached out to his swim coach, Sara McLarty, for a letter confirming his more than five hours per week of training and his ability to endure the entire event. McLarty is a USA Triathlon Elite World Championship team leader and former USA Swimming World Champion (2005-2015).
“I get a lot of people who, once they hit a brick wall, just throw their hands up,” McLarty says. “We saw how Brent progressed and that he was more persistent.” Suriano continues to take her classes after successfully completing the event.
Suriano is interested in doing the Navy Seal Foundation events several more times. He pledges to keep pushing himself to be the best at whatever he does, inside and outside the bank. “My goal is to instill a mindset of competitive excellence within myself and the team, ensuring that we’re always delivering top-tier experiences and strategies for the clients we serve.”
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