Jim Dreyer to Cross Lake Michigan for Historic Second Time to Raise Money For Coast Guard
Twenty-five years to the day Jim “The Shark” Dreyer started the 1998 swim across Lake Michigan that launched his career as a record-setting athlete, and in the same month he turns 60 years of age, Dreyer plans to embark upon history once again from a Wisconsin beach.
To celebrate this significant anniversary and birthday, Dreyer will attempt to swim from Bradford Beach in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to City Beach in his new hometown of Grand Haven, Michigan, beginning on August 1-3, 2023 (depending on weather).
Dreyer’s 2023 swim, entitled Lake Michigan – The Silver Sequel, is 82.5 miles point-to-point and longer than his 1998 route – the first and only successful swim across the width of Lake Michigan between Wisconsin and Michigan.
In 1998, Dreyer swam from Two Rivers, Wisconsin to Ludington, Michigan – a 50-mile point-to-point swim that ended up with him logging 65 miles due to strong cross-currents.
In raising the bar on his own record, Dreyer estimates that with currents, he will swim approximately 25 miles further in his 25th anniversary swim, totaling around 90 miles. He expects the crossing to take more than 60 hours.
If successful in his quest, Dreyer will finish in Grand Haven, a.k.a. “Coast Guard City USA,” during its’ Coast Guard Festival. The timing is fitting, as the swim benefits the Grand Haven Chapter and Western Lake Michigan (Milwaukee) Chapter of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Chief Petty Officers Association, supporting Lake Michigan Guardians, their families, and communities on both shores.
“I have enjoyed working with the professional men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard throughout my 25-year career,” Dreyer said. “At my side, they have played a vital role in my success and together we have undertaken projects to improve swimmer safety. In conjunction with this milestone swim, I am honored to facilitate a way to give back to these life-saving guardians of Lake Michigan. Donations to the Chief Petty Officers Association will be greatly appreciated!”
Doug Locklear, President of the Chief Petty Officers Association Grand Haven Chapter, stated: “The Chief Petty Officers Association (CPOA) has consistently extended invaluable support to Coast Guard members in times of need, thanks to the unwavering backing from our community. Jim’s remarkable feat of swimming across the lake serves as a testament to the strong partnership forged between the Coast Guard and the communities we are privileged to serve. We are profoundly grateful for his support of the CPOA, and we eagerly anticipate our continued collaboration with him.”
To track Jim “The Shark” Dreyer’s progress across Lake Michigan in real time and to make tax-deductible donations to the USCG Chief Petty Officers Association, go online to www.JimTheSharkDreyer.com.