CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Three months from now, a group of about 200 people could make history in Chicago.
They could be among the first in almost 100 years to be part of an organized open water swim on the Chicago River, called the 2019 Chicago River Swim.
"In fact, in the mid-'20s the star of the show was John Weissmuller, who was not only a Chicagoan and an Olympian — (but) then Tarzan," said McConnell. "Some of the press reports that we hear back from the mid-'20s is that there would be 100,000 spectators watching the swimmer in the river."
McConnell said the races started in 1908 as a celebratory event because the river has been recently cleand again after its flow was reversed.
And now...
These kinds of swimming activities are in McConnell's blood. He has swum the English Channel and has been in the Chicago River before, briefly. He has raised money for ALS through swimming groups like A Long Swim.
With the help of his A Long Swim Team, McConnell became only the 48th person over age 50 to swim the English Channel, in 14 hours that were divided between heavy waves and pitch black darkness.
"I paddled around a little bit and it was perfectly delightful," he said. "And I've also swum in the East River in New York. And I'm here to tell you the Chicago River tastes better."
