Mackinac Island Swim 2022

When is the last time you did something crazy? I ask, because I just witnessed a whole other level of crazy.

371, somewhat crazy, people jumped into the 65° waters of Lake Huron and swam around Mackinac Island. That’s a total of 8.2 miles!

Swimming 8.2 miles is a feat in itself. Combine that with battling swells of 3 foot waves, and you have the making of a long day!

The Mackinaw Island Swim started at 7:45am. The morning was actually quite pretty. But, the waters were ugly. By the time some swimmers hit the 2 mile aid station, many decided they had had enough, and called it a day.

After hitting 4 miles, (near halfway) the waters became rougher. The wind and the waves were more intense, and more swimmers decided to walk back to the finish line. (No shame at all!)

That said, a 4 Man relay team from Zeeland High School took the honors of finishing first with a blistering time. While this was just a, “fun event”, and not an actual race, all of us were quite impressed at their speed, and camaraderie.

A few more finished. Then, to the cheers of many, a 4 woman team, also from Zeeland High School, came to the finish at the shore. (I’m telling ya, Zeeland High School Swimmers will be a force this year!!)

All of the swimmers families, and friends, cheered loudly for each individual who finished their swim. I loved watching the support. We all knew how much stamina it took to finish that swim. It was the definition of endurance.

There were so many wonderful stories from the event. I met a 4 Woman team from Wisconsin. I spoke to a woman who, just last weekend, completed an Ironman event in Alaska. And I spoke with several swimmers who did the event last year, and had such a blast, decided to do it again.

I want to congratulate the Swim Director, Jon, for a wonderful event. He, and his incredible team, helped raise over $28,000 for the Mackinaw Woman’s Club to better their community. Isn’t that incredible?

As emcee, it was super inspiring to watch each of these swimmers battle the waves, and, battle their endurance.  I am reminded of this in James 1, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

It is true, whenever you face a trial of any kind, you will find that the battle isn’t easy, but the reward of endurance is worth it.

If you’re interested in trying the 8.2 mile swim around Mackinac Island, it is happening Sunday, August 13, 2023. Keep an eye on http://www.swimaroundmac.com in January 2023 for more details.

Endurance pays off. Go make a difference.  Always Run By Faith.