We’ve all had different mechanisms for coping with the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic. For one Chicago man, that meant jumping into Lake Michigan every single day for an entire year.
Listen to your favorite music now on Audacy
On June 12, Dan O’Conor, known as “The Great Lake Jumper,” marked 365 consecutive days of jumping into Lake Michigan in grand fashion. “365 days in a row jumping in Lake Michigan crescendoed with a mighty celebration,” he wrote in an Instagram post.
“I need to thank my family who stood with me this past year, remember put your mind to something, set a goal & make magic happen. Because if this story of a year long jump in a Great Lake could go international than anything is possible."
O’Conor had an all-star list of musicians come out to celebrate the occasion as Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy performed when he made his jump into the lake.
“Congrats on 365 jumps, Dan!” Tweedy wrote on Instagram. Appropriately, Tweedy reworked the lyrics to the Wilco song “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” to reference the occasion. The new lyrics drew cheers right as O’Conor made his 365th plunge into the lake.
Aside from reducing anxiety and stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, O’Conor had another reason for continuing the project. Raise awareness for independent music venues in Chicago.
As news of O’Conor’s lake jumps spread, he began to urge those following along to support CIVL, the Chicago Independent Venue League advocating on behalf of the city’s independent performance venues.
WATCH MORE: 7 rock icons with surprising movie cameos
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram