Nov. 10, 2025, will mark 50 years since the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior, killing its 29 crew members. The large freighter was set to deliver more than 27,000 tons of iron ore to Detroit from Wisconsin, but it didn’t make it past Whitefish Point.

I will be swimming for a few 30-minute sessions in open water this August. The St. Clair River, to be exact, one the fastest flowing rivers in the world. The river forms part of the international boundary between Canada and the United States. The river is an essential part of the Great Lakes Waterway system. The shipping channels permit cargo vessels to travel between the upper and lower Great Lakes. 

My childhood friend and descendant of the Edmund Fitzgerald clan signed up to swim leg 16 of the 411-mile relay in the Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim scheduled to begin in July of 2025.

The challenge intrigued me, and in August of 2024 I added my name to the waiting list and convinced my neighbor Ed to add his name too.

When I taught culinary arts to high school students, I was surprised by their lack of knowledge concerning our mitten state. I learned as time moves forward, what I may consider a relevant event in my life has gone unnoticed by newer generations.

I grew up on Lake Huron. One could rightfully assume my water skills would be close to Michael Phelps’ level, since I had easy access to the lake my entire childhood. But I was more of a dunker than a swimmer. I enjoyed the sun, rolled in the sand and floated on the water, but swimming was not in my genes.