There’s two things that I absolutely love to be a part of; a good adventure and a boat trip. Heck “adventure” is tattoo’d on my left arm in Mardarin characters it means so much to me, and in the summer time, I develop some serious flip flop tans lines from the amount of time spent on the waters of Lake Michigan. When the opportunity came to be a part of Jim “The Shark” Dreyer’s 82.9 mile swim across Lake Michigan, that would combine these two passions, it was an easy “yes”.
This year, Raven Strategic Group have a more official role supporting Jim’s adventure in early August as he makes a third attempt in 2 years to cross from Milwaukee to Grand Haven. The goal is for Jim to focus on swimming (what he does best) and we will pour our efforts into the logistics and support role (what we do best).

Our efforts include medical support, GPS tracking / monitoring, rescue vessel and backup supply team. While this list easily fits into one sentence, it’s so much more than that. The team has been working on the best approach, best tools and best people to pull this off for almost 6 months. We have assembled a top tier team to accomplish the mission and are working diligently in the final weeks to prepare for the journey.
This is one of the most complex operations we are a part of this year. There is a lot of planning and contingency work that goes into it, but the weather, Jim’s pace, and so many other factors can wreak havoc and throw it all off course. Our team is comprised of a physician, medics, RN’s as the primary medical team, with myself and another FF / EMT running the boat, but available to assist with basic life support functions if needed.
The fun part about his adventure is the diving into the unknowns and working and adapting the plan as we go. Many of our events and details follow a script where we work hard to plan, but the contingencies we have to employ are limited. This project provides unlimited challenges and requires decision making skills that test even the most seasoned professionals.

The best part of this whole thing is that Jim does this for a cause. He’s raising money for the US Coast Guard Petty Officers Association, which as avid boaters is obviously near and dear to our hearts as well.
You can learn more about The Shark and see his official press release and support the swim HERE
Keep an eye on our socials to follow the adventure!
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