“Had to Swallow My Pride”: Drowned as a Kid, America’s Favorite Jim ‘The Shark’ Dreyer Narrates a Heartwarming Story That Changed His Life

Jim ‘The Shark’ Dreyer is an electrifying force when it comes to the water. His swimming prowess makes him feel almost at the same level as the great swimming mammals. Accurately dubbed ‘The Shark,’ Dreyer has swam across several great lakes and established his name and dominance in the world. 

While Dreyer is hailed as the mightiest swimmer in the world, there was a time when he was a total novice at it. During an exclusive interview with Essentially Sports, America’s favorite human tugboat revealed an embarrassing and humbling account. Dreyer, who usually carries things way bigger than his size, shared a heartwarming story where he was coupled with something way small.

Jim ‘The Shark’ Dreyer goes candid about maiden swimming lessons

Jim ‘The Shark’ Dreyer swims through entire lakes without a moment’s hesitation. The human tugboat has zero problems carrying over 27 tons of cargo behind its back. However, the mighty ultra marathon athlete also started his journey of a thousand miles with a single step. In fact, he literally started his swimming journey by taking literal steps. Speaking to Essentially Sports in an Exclusive interview, Dreyer said, “I went to the swimming pool and I thought I was gonna teach myself how to swim. I’ll say that it hasn’t worked very well. I was vertical in the water, vertical as a person who was standing. I’m just plowing through the water like that.” His hilariously cute attempt was noticed by a German instructor who was at the pool.

The instructor took a jibe at Dreyer and said, “This German by the name of Mike Landis, who happened to be a swimming coach, came to the side of the pool. He introduced himself and he said, ‘Jim, I’m getting tired of just watching you swim. But I must admit, I’m pressed. I’ve never seen anybody swim 12 linings of the pool, completely vertical.’” Landis offered to teach The Shark how to swim and Dreyer readily agreed. However, when he later arrived for lessons at the mentioned time, he was absolutely stunned.

“I thought I was going to be me and him, one on one. I came back and it was a bunch of little kids. They were 5 and 6-year-olds and it was me. Those were my humble beginnings. I really had to swallow my pride.” While the Herculean swimmer felt a little embarrassed, he also appreciated the kids for their bravery. 

The scary reason for Dreyer’s late start in the water

Jim ‘The Shark’ Dreyer wasn’t always the amphibious man he is today. In fact, he had almost drowned as a kid in his childhood. The troubled memory didn’t allow Jim ‘The Shark’ Dreyer to step in the water for a significant amount of time. Thus, when he saw kids as young as five taking swimming lessons, he admired them for their strong mindset.

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“Those kids were braver than I was,” said the 60-year-old. Despite his initial scare and his late start, Dreyer has now grown into a monstrous swimmer. The human tugboat now faces zero fears while powering through strong currents and low visibility. In fact, he has developed a knack for swimming unsupervised and crossing entire lakes. The development of the Herculean swimmer shows how one’s resolve can overcome even the greatest of fears.

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