Swim Lessons; Ten Secrets For Making Any Dream Come True

[10], 203, [3] pages. Inscribed by the author on the half-title page. Inscription reads Kevin, Stay Strong-- Nick Irons. No dust jacket present. "I came up with the idea, and worried about the rest later," says Swim Lessons author Nick Irons. As crazy as this may sound, it worked for Nick, and it can certainly work for you. And "the rest" is exactly what Nick figured out-what it takes to swim 1,550 miles of the mighty, muddy Mississippi River in four months to raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis, the disease his father has lived with for more than twenty years. It's hard to think of a riskier, less-doable idea than that-especially when you have no idea how you'll pull it off. But he did! This book is Nick's highly entertaining story of the Swim and every pivotal lesson he learned along the way. What he shares here is not just inspiration-it is the rock-solid plan you need to make your biggest dream come true. From Alex Houston, who directed a documentary based on this book, He didn't know it, but his whole life, Nick Irons unconsciously wanted to do something to help his dad, who suffered from multiple sclerosis. But he grew up in a happy Oklahoma home, graduated from college, and moved to Los Angeles to break into the TV industry. In December 1995, Nick visited his parents in their new home near Washington, DC, and saw his dad taking a turn for the worse - walking with a cane. While he had been away for a year, the disease rapidly progressed from a minor inconvenience to a disabling, painful disability. On the flight back to LA, Nick saw the Mississippi River and decided, "I will swim that. For my dad." He left his dead-end PA job in LA and dedicated himself to training. Eighteen months later on June 1 1997, he stepped in the frigid Mississippi River to swim 1550 miles from Minneapolis, MN to Baton Rouge, LA. Many said, "You don't swim the Mississippi." The river was filled with hazards: dangerous commercial and recreational boat traffic, strong undercurrents, storms, and wildlife. He needed help. Halfway down, it looked like the naysayers would be right as volunteer support disappeared along the increasingly industrial waterway. Nick's only hope was a stranger from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who had a dream of his own. Swim Lessons is an intimate, funny, and inspirational story about their incredible journey, and the lessons we can all learn along the way about love, dedication, and simply enjoying the moment.…