Mile 0 | The Start

Hinrichs Waterfront Park → Ideal Beach

This is where the 17-mile fight for history began.

The dock was slick and cold beneath my bare feet as I walked out to the water. I knelt down,

pulled Rikki close, kissed her, and told her I loved her. She kissed me back and whispered that she’d be by my side the whole way. I held back my emotions and tried to look strong and confident for her. But inside, I almost couldn’t breathe — I slipped off the dock into the shallow, weedy water beside her kayak at 8:07am on September 17, 2025.

The weeds brushed against my arms as I pushed out to deeper water. My wetsuit felt tight, my chest felt heavy. I knew what I was stepping into — nine hours of pain, doubt, and loneliness. I've been here before and I knew full well today was going to test me. But I also knew there was no going back. I took a deep breath and off I went.

When I pushed off, the sound hit me: silence. The lake swallowed everything. No horns. No crowd noise. Just me and the water. Just me and my thoughts. It was like the world had gone quiet to see if I really meant it. The test had begun...

This wasn’t about the 17 miles ahead. Mile one was about committing to the first stroke, the first breath, the first moment of no return. I was grateful and full of emotions. Read more about miles 2-5 as I pushed down the south shore into the sunrise here: Link - https://www.jacemorgan.com/post/the-south-shore-grind-mile-2-5

Mile 0 Takeaway: Fear will always try to choke you at the start. But once you dive in, silence becomes clarity. One step, one stroke — that’s how history begins. If you are reading this and nervous or fearful of taking a chance on yourself, DO IT. Don't wait for the perfect moment to start. Just take the first step. It could change your life, or someone else's for that matter. Take a deep breath and believe in yourself like I did... 💜

Beyond The Buoy: My tell all journey of becoming the first person to swim around Lake Wawasee will be available for preorder in the next week or two. Stay tuned for updates and snippets from the book as I make these "Mini Chapters" about the swim and what it took to get here. From training, the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Thanks for reading. Jace