Mile 13.5-15 | Back in my Home Waters

Subtitle: Mile 13.5–15 | The Sphinx → North Shore → Chinese Gardens → Oakwood

This was my home stretch — childhood docks, summer training waters. But it came with the gut punch of reality: every stroke added to the miles and for an awhile it seemed like someone moved the finish line on me. A cruel joke at the end of an epic adventure. But as I said before I let this go after a buoys and turned back to moving like a steady machine. One stroke after another. One buoy at a time. 

Mile 14 passed and will remember this moment clear as day… I looked at my crew and shouted in the boat and Rikki next to them on the kayak and shouted: “We are going to make history!” They roared back, “Yeah you are!” Pride on their faces as I smiled back, “WE ARE…” and rolled over and kept swimming. I felt the community and the connection to me team in a whole different way. 

People had swam out for a high fives, snapped pictures. Crowds filled docks, shouting encouragement. Every cheer hit harder the farther into the swim we got. I wasn’t just swimming. We were writing history. As a community. 

Thanks for reading 💜

Jace

Check out the final blog in the series finishing the swim around Conklin Bay here:

https://www.jacemorgan.com/post/the-final-miles-the-victory-lap

Takeaway: When the finish line moves farther than you expected, you don’t panic. You get back to work. I trained for this, I knew what to do. My team knew. I will not stop until I make it or they drag me out. There is no quit in me, I just don’t have it.