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Greetings: In the beginning, there was Man and Woman, and they
begat a child. In a perfect world the man and woman would have time
and resources to raise
 the child. We don’t live in a perfect world
however, and sometimes parents have difficulty providing enough
attention and guidance to their children. This can be especially
challenging for single parents. The Big Brothers Big Sisters Program works to bridge the gap between
parents’ resources and the needs of their children by matching willing
adults with children needing more attention. Big Brothers Big Sisters
volunteers make a difference by providing mentorship and friendship to
children in need. Hoping to make a difference by raising funds and bringing awareness to
the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program through his athleticism,
triathlete Jim Dreyer set out to become the first to swim between Wisconsin and Michigan across Lake Michigan's mid-section, in a 1998
event titled Swim For New Horizons. While successful in setting a new
Lake Michigan distance record, swimming three times the width of the
English Channel with a 65-mile crossing, Jim’s career-defining motto
was born after Lake Michigan’s tremendous currents added an additional
15 miles to a grueling swim … “Quitting is not an option.” The New
Horizons ultra-marathon series was born after the local Big Brothers
Big Sisters programs in West Michigan grew by 30% - 40% following the
Lake Michigan swim. Jim knew he must continue. There were other Great
Lakes and there would be other quests. One by one, Jim would begin crossing the remaining “freshwater seas”
off his list as the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program continued to
grow. In 1999, he would set new speed and distance records for
crossing Lake Huron, but the feat was not without it’s perils. It took
three attempts, his support boat nearly sunk in a violent storm, he
lost most of the skin off his mid section, and was separated from his
support boat and lost at the end of the swim. Jim emerged from the
water while a search for his body was being conducted. Due to the fact that lakes Erie and Ontario were narrower than his
previous quests, Jim set out in 2000 to swim the two lakes in a single
triathlon event combining running and biking, entitled Tri For New
Horizons. On his first attempt he fell short of his triathlon goal,
but set a solo duathlon world distance record, when losing consciousness
before getting on his bike following a swim across Lake Erie and a
marathon run through the beach sand. Not one to give up easily, Jim
came back a month
 later
and set a solo triathlon world distance record when he ran 26.2 miles
through the sand along Lake Erie, biked 130 miles, and swam a
55.9-mile near double-crossing of Lake Ontario (a storm forced the
swim to be aborted just 13 miles short of the finish on the return). In 2001, Jim would embark on a quest to earn the coveted crown jewel
that would complete The Drive For Five … Lake Superior, the big lake
called Gitche Gumee … always rough, and always cold, it is arguably
the most imtimidating body of fresh water on the planet. In the Quest For Gitche Gumee
and the Gitche Gumee 100, Jim would achieve unprecedented
success on Lake Superior while ultimately falling short in his efforts
to cross her expanse, and thereby complete a swim across all five
Great Lakes. There is a reason why Superior was saved for last. In five
attempts over the next four years, Gitche Gumee would prevent Jim
from crossing her. In the attempted crossings, Jim
would set a new solo duathlon world distance record and twice set new Lake Superior distance records while braving
37-degree water temperatures, 14-foot waves, and a storm that swept
him 20 miles off course. The medical implications of his battles with
Superior include temporary paralysis of his legs due to severe
hypothermia, and experiencing kidney shutdown. Just twelve days after being turned back in his 2003 Lake Superior
swim, Jim was back in the water; this time in Michigan City, Indiana,
attempting to become the first to swim the length of a Great Lake in
the Lake Michigan 350. The challenge was undertaken as a
self-sufficient event, as he would tow 75-100 pounds of supplies in a
kayak from his ankles. Battling 15-20 foot waves on six different
occasions, he covered an estimated 422 miles, in 18 stages over 30
days, crossing under the Mackinaw Bridge and setting yet another
unthinkable milestone. This journey was equivalent to pulling the
weight of his supplies 20 times across the English Channel in a span
of 30 days. Finally in 2005, Jim discovered an
unlikely secret to achieving victory on Superior ... swimming it
alone. Pulling a dinghy with 250 pounds of supplies, including his
navigational equipment, he set out from Michigan's upper peninsula to
find his way to Canada. During the Solo Superior journey, he
survived a total failure of his GPS navigational system, forcing him
to depend on a $6.99 wrist compass and the stars to guide him, and was
once even separated from his supply dinghy, forcing him to "catch it
or die." Near the end, he fought through a monster thunderstorm with
60 mph winds that was producing waves in excess of 15 feet. Pulling a
dinghy filled with water against strong storm-driven rip currents, he
fought his way to shore on the side of a cliff along a rugged and
remote Canadian lakeshore, nearly 60 miles and 60 hours from his point
of embarkation. Not having a support boat with 8-10 other lives in
danger, Jim was able to persevere and ultimately achieve success. He
had completed his "Drive For Five," by swimming across his fifth Great
Lake, and becoming the first to swim across a Great Lake
self-sufficiently. This incredible adventure set the world distance
record for a self-sufficient swim, and broke his previous Lake
Superior distance record. It has been said that Jim Dreyer has stretched the limits of known
human capabilities … all while facing seemingly insurmountable
obstacles. His accomplishments as an ultra-marathon athlete are
nothing short of astounding, and even more so when you learn that just
two years before he set his first of fourteen world records with a swim
across Lake Michigan, he was afraid of the water from a near-drowning
as a child, and barely knew how to dog-paddle. His story is one of
spirit and determination. We hope you enjoy learning more about Jim
Dreyer and the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program by exploring this
site. |
