Lap the Lake 2025:
The Dream Continues...
There’s a kind of silence you only hear underwater.
It’s not empty — it’s full. Full of old thoughts, new fears, and
memories you didn’t even know were still hanging on.
That silence, for me, feels like home. And it’s exactly where this story begins.
I don’t remember learning how to swim — it just feels like I always could.
I grew up on Lake Wawasee. Some of my earliest and deepest memories are tied to these waters.
The smell of sunscreen and wet towels on the back of the boat. Early mornings on the dock,
watching the steam rise as the lake woke up. Summer days that felt like they’d stretch on forever.
This lake didn’t just shape my childhood. It raised me. It’s been a classroom, a mirror, and a training
ground. And now, I’m coming back to it — with something big in mind.
I’ve had this idea bouncing around in my head for a long time:
What if I swam the entire lake? Not just across it — but around the entire shoreline. Every curve, every cove. No medals. No stopwatch. Just one full lap. For the story. For the kid I used to be. For the man I’m still learning to become.
On September 17, 2025 I became the first person in history to swim the entire perimeter of Lake Wawasee. Once the summer boat traffic faded and the lake calmed down, I dove in and swim all 17 miles of Lake Wawasee’s shoreline. No motor. No breaks. Just one continuous swim.
This wasn't a race. It was a mission — to push myself beyond what’s comfortable, to honor the roots that built me, and to leave behind a legacy that means something. I called it Lap the Lake. And little did I know the decision to do this would change my life forever.
There are buoys floating on the lake right now that mark the edge of the “safe zone.” They tell you how far is okay. Where it’s allowed to swim. But this whole idea — this journey — is about going beyond that. Beyond the Buoy. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. Because I’ve learned that real growth doesn’t happen in comfort zones. It happens when we push past the markers that used to define us — the ones that tell us to play small or stay safe. That’s what this swim is really about.
Over the past few months, I’ve documented every step of this journey.
The tough training sessions and the ones that went better than expected.
With raw reflections. Podcast clips, old swim photos, and behind-the-scenes videos.
My tell-all story about the doubts, the fears, and the reason I keep showing up.
This wasn't just a swim. It was a full journey of turning pain into purpose.
My tell-all book of the entire journey is finally here: Beyond the Buoy.
It’s not just about swimming — it’s about the hard stuff that nobody sees.
Anxiety. Identity. Expectations. Healing.
It's about what happens when we choose to face the storm instead of avoiding it.
The swim is the metaphor. The book is the raw truth behind it all.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in your own head, carried something heavy for too long, or
needed a reminder that falling apart doesn’t make you weak.
I think this journey might speak to you. This project isn’t just for swimmers.
It’s for anyone trying to rebuild, rewire, and rise again. If you want to follow along, I’d love for you to be part of this. I’ll be sharing updates, behind-the-scenes clips, previews from the book, and of course — the behind the scenes of the swim that no one saw.
Want the story firsthand? Let’s go beyond the buoy together. Join the email list below to get full access to all the updates in real time. Expect Log updates, behind-the-scenes clips, book previews, and the official book release date announcement.
Thanks for reading this far. Thanks for your support.
— Jace Morgan
Our Dream Partnership
Lap The Lake X Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation
This swim isn’t just about testing my endurance —
it’s about starting a ripple effect. Partnering with the
Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation (WACF) feels like
the perfect alignment of mission and heart.
The WACF has been protecting the lake and its watershed
for decades, and together we’re turning this swim into more than
just a personal challenge. We’re using it as a platform to raise
awareness, rally the community, and remind everyone
why Lake Wawasee is worth fighting for.
Our dream partnership with the WACF is about momentum — momentum to make conservation a conversation again, momentum to educate boaters, anglers, homeowners, and kids about keeping this lake clean and thriving for generations to come. Every stroke I take is a commitment to that mission. We hope this project becomes a spark that gets more people involved, whether that’s volunteering with the WACF, advocating for clean water initiatives, or simply thinking twice about how they interact with the lake.
But it doesn’t stop at conservation. This swim is also about inspiring others to chase their dreams — big, scary, audacious dreams. I want the next generation to see that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they commit fully. Whether it’s a swim, a run, a business idea, or a cause they care about, we hope people watch this journey and think, “If he can do that, maybe I can take my leap too.”
At its core, this is about leaving the lake better than we found it, and leaving people braver than we found them. If this swim gets one kid to believe in themselves or one family to make a change that protects this water, then it will have been worth every mile.
We are incredibly grateful to the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation (WACF) for their support and generosity in allowing us to use Hinrichs Waterfront Park as the official start and finish for this historic swim. Having such a meaningful and accessible location means the world to us — it gives the community a place to gather, send us off, and celebrate at the finish line. This partnership represents more than just a starting point; it symbolizes the shared mission to protect and preserve the lake we all love
