Jim Dreyer, known as “The Shark” in the world of ultra swimming, is gearing up for another attempt to conquer the treacherous waters of Lake Michigan.
At 61, Dreyer is no stranger to the challenges posed by this vast body of water.
While most endurance athletes peak during their 30s and 40s, he successfully eclipsed over 25,000 swimming miles—equivalent to swimming around the world—at the age of 50.
His determination remains unshaken, even after a GPS failure forced him to abandon his last attempt just a few weeks ago, after swimming 60 miles across two days.
The triathlete announced his renewed bid to try again on social media.
“Sorry for the last-minute notice, but chaos is often part of this open water swimming game,” he posted on Facebook, along with a link to the 1987 Whitesnake anthem “Here I Go Again.”
Jim Dreyer heads out into Lake Michigan in Grand Haven, Aug. 6, 2024, in his attempt to swim to Wisconsin. Dreyer’s attempt was cut short after 60 miles due to a GPS failure, which caused him to lose direction.
Blace Carpenter/The Tribune via AP
This time, he plans to set off from Grand Haven, Michigan, on Monday evening, aiming to reach Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after swimming at least 80 miles over the course of 72 grueling hours.
He will be towing a small inflatable boat packed with supplies, a strategy that has become a hallmark of his solo swims.
Open-water swimmers like Dreyer rely on support crews who monitor their progress, provide food and hydration, and offer safety assistance. In The Shark’s case, towing the boat also adds drag and increases the difficulty of the swim.
His progress will be tracked online, allowing supporters to follow his every move as he battles not just the physical demands of the swim but also the unpredictable elements of Lake Michigan.
Dreyer’s first successful lake crossing came in 1998, starting in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and ending in Ludington, Michigan.
Recent attempts have been fraught with challenges—three tries at repeating the feat since 2023 have gone awry with tech errors.
This aerial photo shows a revetment along the shore of Lake Michigan in Ogden Dunes, Indiana, on Nov. 1, 2023. Lake Michigan is known for its unpredictable weather and strong currents, making the swim extremely challenging.
DIANE DESOBEAU/AFP via Getty Images
Last month’s GPS error came as a result of the batteries in his supply raft tracker dying. When he went to replace them with spares, he was horrified to find the reserves had gone missing.
Insistent on completing the journey, Dreyer swam in the wrong direction, further elongating his journey to the point where he experienced hallucinations.
“In the end, I believe it was something as simple as two AA batteries that prevented me from successfully completing a self-sufficient swim across Lake Michigan,” he said in a statement released last month.
“It was an accident, but it was my fault. This is a tough pill to swallow.”
Dreyer’s planned route will be longer than many of the world’s most popular open-water swims, for example the English Channel, which is 21 miles long.
Some of his other successful endeavors include Lake Huron, Luke Superior, and Lake Ontario.
Lake Michigan, the second-largest of the Great Lakes, is notorious for its unpredictable weather and powerful currents, making any attempt to swim across it a formidable challenge.
The first recorded successful swim was by Ted Erikson in 1961, who completed the swim in just under 37 hours.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
