Jim Dreyer
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Jim Dreyer (b. August 16, 1963 in Grand Rapids, Michigan), also known as 'The Shark', is an ultra marathon athlete, because his swimming accomplishments are often tied to extensive running and cycling feats.
He has swum across various lakes, among others:
- Lake Michigan (65 miles)
- Lake Huron (52 miles)
- Lake Erie (30 miles, as part of a duathlon)
- Lake Ontario (56 miles, as part of a "Ironman-distance plus" triathlon)
- Lake Michigan (full length, est. 422 miles, in 18 stages)
- Lake Superior (59 miles)
Dreyer has set various records on those distances and has won multiple marathon and triathlon awards. His swimming accomplishments have all been achieved with a wetsuit, and some swims have been done unaccompanied. These facts cause some dispute for establishing world marathon swimming records, as FINA, Channel swimming, and other marathon swimming rules do not allow unnaccompanied or wetsuit swims to compete with standard swim records ([1]).
On August 28, 2006, Dryer began an attempt to set a record for the longest continuous swim in the open sea. Dreyer plans to make an estimated 31 crossings (totalling 125 miles) of the Straits of Mackinac. Dubbed "Dire Straights 125", the feat is estimated to take 84 to 96 hours.
Through his swimming projects he tries to raise funds and awareness for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
