Failures are heartbreaking. But they make the breeding grounds for the champions. A month back, he had to leave the waters defeated. But Jim ‘The Shark’ Dreyer bounced back, aiming to etch his name in the swimming records book once again. And Lake Michigan is waiting to witness the sequel of an astonishing feat.

25 years ago, Dreyer first went on to set up an insane record of swimming across Lake Michigan that is still unstained. ‘The Shark’ has grown older. But not his zeal. In fact, it seems his hunger for victory has increased more than ever. Therefore, this time, he has raised the bar for himself to make his attempt more thrilling.

Lonely ‘shark’ up for new swimming mission

On September 3, Dreyer, on his Facebook, announced to swim across Lake Michigan for the second time. He chose the occasion of Labor Day, which is September 4, to start his voyage. This was somewhat expected. ‘The Shark’ had to do this after bad weather compelled him to abort the same mission last month. But this time Dreyer has vowed that he would be swimming all alone, without an escort boat!

“I AM SWIMMING AGAIN TOMORROW … THIS TIME, UNESCORTED ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN!”, Dreyer wrote on his Facebook. In the fairly long post, he tried to provide a glimpse of how the journey was going to be. Dreyer will only have a dinghy filled with supplies attached to his waist. He will swim all alone while pulling the weight of his supplies and finding his way across Lake Michigan.

The saga of Lake Michigan started on August 1, 1998. Dreyer started swimming across the width of the lake starting from Rawley Point Lighthouse in Wisconsin. After 40 hours and 56 minutes, he finished at Big Sable Point Lighthouse of Michigan. It was a distance of 65 miles, equivalent to three times the width of the English Channel. This made him the first, and still the only person, to make a mid-lake crossing between the two states.

2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the historic feat. To commemorate that Dreyer embarked on the same journey once again on August 1. He fondly calls it ‘The Silver Sequel’. The goal was to swim the width of Lake Michigan between Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Grand Haven, Michigan. But he had to stop 10 miles east of Milwaukee due to worsening weather. But in Dreyer’s own words, “I am not good at walking away from a goal before achieving it.” So once again he is on it, maybe with the aim of wrapping it up this time.

Do it now, or never

While swimming alone across a lake is not new to Dreyer. But still, it raises concern over his safety. Dreyer himself also admits this. Then why did he decide to do it all alone? Like a shark, Dreyer is clear and focused. “There is only time for one more attempt this summer, and I do not want to risk the chance of what occurred last time happening again.”, he pointed out in a press release on September 3.

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If Dreyer manages to complete his journey this time he will actually eclipse his previous feat of 1998. Because the planned distance this time is going to be around 80 miles. This means Dreyer will be swimming 25 miles further in his second crossing of Lake Michigan. His website fondly describes this as, ’25 years later, 25 years older, and an estimated 25 miles further’.

The Scottish folklore says King Robert the Bruce saw the spider succeed after losing six times. This was Bruce’s inspiration to try once again, which ultimately changed the course of Scottish history. We don’t know who is the spider for Dreyer. But all eyes are set on ‘The Shark’ on a special day in American history, to witness a new history.

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