Considering the fact that I almost quit shortly into the swim (I’ll explain that soon), I actually did very well. The Mackinac Bridge Swim event

counts as an “event” rather than a “race” because we raised money for the first responders of Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. There were no podiums or age-group awards. A little over 100 swimmers participated. Most made it across, but a few couldn’t maintain pace or had other issues, so volunteers pulled them out and they finished the last leg separately. It wasn’t a race by any means, but it was definitely a tough challenge!

Pre-Race Day

The event started the day before. The race directors and a few volunteers swam the course on their own with support crews. The calm water and beautiful weather made it easy for us to watch them finish and do some course recon. It also helped my nervous mom understand where I would start and finish.

Some participants shared tips about what to expect. One person even claimed the water would look just as good (maybe better) on Saturday. Why I believed him, I don’t know. Mother Nature had different plans.

Race Morning

I drove to the race site a bit groggy on Saturday morning. I didn’t get a look at the Straits until I reached the start. Waves and whitecaps were already forming. A race director laughed and said, “We’re really going to earn this today.” That’s when I learned the predicted winds shifted to the North/Northeast. Waves and currents would be with us all morning. Great. I had barely trained in chop, and I was about to get more than enough practice today.

The only advantage: the current wouldn’t drag us far from the bridge. Instead, we had to avoid getting pushed into it.

The First Miles

As I questioned my life choices, I entered the water with Group B. Swimmers were divided into C, B, and A. The C group was the slowest, and A was the fastest.

I was in the middle. Wading out, I began my swim and immediately got slapped in the face by a few waves. Trying to hold my buoy out in front while kicking quickly proved unsustainable.

Needing a break, I swam to a kayak. Swimmers kept passing as doubt crept in about whether to continue. The kayaker (bless her) told me she had been in the same situation a few weeks earlier and encouraged me to stop the “stinkin’ thinkin’.” So I made myself a deal to at least reach the South Tower, one mile ahead, and headed back toward the bridge and the pack.

Still behind, I focused on working with the waves. I breathed only when they settled and looked down when they rolled over me. Little by little, confidence started to return.

(And yes, the plan I discussed—floating on my back for 5 seconds and trying again—went out the window once the waves started slapping. Still, I was close enough to call it a win.)

Tower to Tower

I reached the South Tower, touched it for the symbolic victory, and looked up. The bridge is massive. Admiration didn’t last long. The waves picked up again, and this stretch was where freighter boats pass. I pushed hard toward the North Tower, about .75 miles ahead.

Two freighters passed earlier, but none came close enough to worry us. They do not stop for anyone. Our support crews set up a flag system to alert swimmers if we needed to evacuate. I kept looking for a red flag but saw none. When I reached the North Tower, I finally relaxed.

Cold Shocks, Causeways, and a Push to the Finish

The waves kept coming, but at least I no longer feared being pulled from the water. Hunger hit me, but the currents made it impossible to stop safely for a gel. I kept going and thanked myself for the solid breakfast I had eaten.

Water temperatures stayed around 70 degrees for most of the swim. But near the end, the cold hit hard. It felt like swimming into an ice wall. A few of us stood up quickly and shouted about how cold it was. That shock pushed me to go faster, and I even passed swimmers wearing fins.

Then we reached the causeway. Officials had warned us about a strong current and said we could walk if needed. I chose to swim. It was dark and crowded, but the current felt mild compared to what we had fought for hours. When we exited the causeway, the water suddenly felt like bathwater. We could hear cheering from friends.

That stretch became my second-fastest of the day. At the finish, I stood up and needed a moment to get my balance. Volunteers held my hands until I could walk. I saw my mom immediately. She was such a welcome sight!!

Results, and… Would I Do It Again?

My time was 2:41, about a 1:51/100-yard pace. My watch measured almost 5 miles. With all the drifting from waves and currents, everyone had different distances.

Would I do this swim again? Probably not soon, but I won’t rule it out forever. The event fee was around $400, which makes sense considering insurance, support boats, and permits. I have other events I want to do, and as the sole income earner, I have to balance costs. I don’t regret doing it. Being among the swimmers who crossed the Straits of Mackinac is an accomplishment I’m proud of!

Final Thoughts

One thing I did take away from Mackinac Bridge Swim event was the importance of chop training for an event like this. However, that is not always available for everyone.  We had some swimmers talk about how they do chop training all the time, which is great if you have the support. It’s important to have a spotter when engaging in such training, and that is what I lacked so I couldn’t do much in the big lakes.  After all, safety first!!

However, the strength training and speedwork in my plan seemed to make up for the lack of chop training a bit, and that is my advice for anyone attempting this swim. If I didn’t work with a coach, I would have likely slogged through long swims with no real purpose. 

And another takeaway is that Mother Nature can be unpredictable and she is going to do her own thing, so you need to be prepared for anything!

To close, I have the Mackinac Island Swim coming up soon, which is even longer and could be just as choppy.  I felt like I dealt with the chop better this time compared to last year when I did the Island Swim relay (after getting over my stinkin’ thinkin’), so I feel more prepared for that challenge!