CHICAGO – The great American city of Chicago is revered and renowned around the world for its valuable contributionsto culture, politics, music, sports, education, architecture and other defining characteristics.
Dan O'Conor, also known as the Great Lake Jumper, isn't one of the players that rings a bell when you think of the Windy City, but maybe he should be.
O'Conor, 72, has plunged into Lake Michigan, or another natural body of water, through every season, punching through thick ice, or no ice at all everyday since June 13, 2020.
"What do you do 365 days in a row? That was the conversation almost 5 years ago, and now it's been over 2,000 days. It's part of my routine, it's my daily cleanse, my daily refresh and I love it," O'Conor said.
The daily plunge into Lake Michigan became a habit during the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020, rapidly evolving into a daily practice for O'Conor at a time when he felt suppressed by the heat of the global shutdown.
During the summer, the waterfront on Lake Michigan is bustling with swimmers and sunbathers soaking in the vibrant sun; the easiest season for O'Conor to continue his annual plunge.
In O'Conor's book, "nothing beats a Chicago summer."
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The winter, however, is a much different, colder and darker side of the story.
Winter weather in Chicago is brutal. Wind-chill dips temperatures below zero and lake-effect snow piles up on streets and sidewalks. The days are short and dark, and chunks of ice fill Lake Michigan, deterring the lion's share of Chicagoans from braving the freezing water until the summer sunshine warms things up.
This winter, like most in Chicago, prolonged arctic blasts have filled Lake Michigan with chunks of ice with the water temperature sitting around 33 degrees, while the frigid air is often much colder, locking in the winter weather feel that annually chills the millions of people that call Chicago home.
"I love Chicago. Chicago is great," O'Conor said. "It has four seasons, sometimes all in the same week."
No matter the weather, even if he has to use a hammer to break through thick ice, O'Conor takes the plunge off of a cement platform into the freshwater lake.
On the morning of June 13, 2020, O'Conor was battling a bourbon hangover during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and took the first dive into Lake Michigan after a push from his wife. Caught up in the lows of the pandemic like millions across the world, O'Conor found something he was missing on the cement shore of Lake Michigan, just a quick bike ride from his house.
"It was a breath of fresh air. It was the pandemic and there wasn't a lot of positivity out there, and I found some zen down by the lake," O'Conor said.
What began as a simple daily routine to shake the frost blossomed into more than O'Conor ever could have imagined.
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He began sharing videos of his plunge on his X account that has since amassed over 13,000 followers, and gained notable attention from both local and national media outlets for turning the daily plunge into much more than a simple swim.
To say he has mastered his routine would be an understatement. The Great Lake Jumper's medal-worthy, trademark front-flip has become an essential ingredient for his daily social media post, as well as his admiration and extensive knowledge of music, often paying homage and dedicating his daily flip to a legendary musician or band.
Reflecting on how he incorporated the flip into his jump, O'Conor said, "I don't have a gymnastics background. I played football in college and that was my main sport, but I always liked being in the water. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, they always had diving boards."
With both an online and local platform for his plunge, O'Conor dove at the opportunity to assist others in Chicago during the time they needed it most. In 2020, local music venues struggled to keep their businesses afloat, so O'Conor partnered with the Chicago Independent Venue League (CIVL), an organization dedicated to supporting independent music venues that were struggling to survive, turning his plunge into a daily fundraiser.
While venues closed their doors, hundreds of talented Chicago-based musicians were left without a stage to perform on. O'Conor began to incorporate live performances, inviting a wide-range of talented individuals and groups across a variety of genres to serenade his daily plunge.
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"I'm a huge live music fan and I found that a lot of these artists; they just want to play. For them to come out to the lakefront and play one song was healthy for them during the pandemic," O'Conor added.
The cement shore of Lake Michigan became the stage, with the city's famous skyline serving as a more than capable backdrop.
Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, legendary music producerSteve Albiniand hundreds of other Chicago-based musicians have performed on the cement shore while the Great Lakes Jumper flips into Lake Michigan.
Throughout his jumping journey, O'Conor has hosted anniversary parties that invite the public to enjoy music, food and a show.
"Going down there, blocking everything else out and having the purpose of getting in the water and getting out of the water, and just wiping everything else off the palate and concentrating on a single thing is what keeps me coming back" O'Conor said.
When family vacations take O'Conor out of Chicago, he finds a way to continue the streak that he says has saved his life.
O'Conor blossomed into the Great Lakes Jumper (plural) after checking Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario off of his checklist, but insists that he is still The Great Lake Jumper because "I'm only doing one at a time."
In addition to serving as a refreshing wellness boost, O'Conor said that he has found a community of like-minded individuals at the lake that share a common routine, namely the Montrose Mermaids, a number of local plunge enthusiasts, photographers and musicians that have accompanied him throughout his journey as the Great Lakes Jumper.
"A lot of people have asked me about the health benefits and why I do it, and it's really mostly for me. It's been a huge positive for my mental health. The routine of going down there, the positivity and the people I've met down there, they are just looking on the bright side of things."
Even when the going gets tough during the winter, O'Conor doesn't find it challenging to continue the plunge.
"Finding that positive aspect of it and, especially during the winter, that feeling of that endorphin rush… I'd describe it like an electrified cat in a cartoon. Just feeling that dopamine release that feels really great. I still love it every day," O'Conor said.
In life, O'Conor says he is "still above the water" and plans on continuing his daily jump into Lake Michigan from the Chicago shore.
Looking back at his five-and-half-year journey as the Great Lakes Jumper, O'Conor said, "I saved my life, I saved my marriage and I helped save live music in Chicago."
The post Meet The Great Lake Jumper: The Chicago resident that has plunged into Lake Michigan for 2,000+ days straight appeared first on Fox Weather
