That’s the distance from Wilmington to Sabina, from WC’s campus to Interstate 71 and back!
Several years ago, Logan Lippert found himself and a friend stranded in the middle of Michigan’s Lower Herring Lake. Their boat motor failed so, being an accomplished swimmer, he traversed the half mile to shore to get assistance for their stranded watercraft.
While he’s always been a short and middle-distance swimmer, usually 100 or 200 meters, Lippert found that swim to be pretty easy, so he and his friend later swam the entire mile from shore to shore — and back again. It became a tradition for them at Lower Herring Lake.
Lippert, a senior from West Chester majoring in business administration, is a member of the Wilmington College Swim Team. In February, his competitions at the Ohio Athletic Conference Swimming Championships marked the end of his swimming career at WC — well, almost.
He decided to commemorate the conclusion of his time as a collegiate swimmer with what he termed a “Max Swim.” Lippert simply wanted to see how far he could go. He mentioned the idea to Head Coach Trip Breen, who gave his endorsement. Lippert noted his usual modus operandi for planning things is, “I just kind of wing it.” Did he scientifically prepare for his marathon swim by consulting one of the College’s exercise science professors or employing a proven nutrition regimen and carbo-loading for energy and endurance? Not really. His birthday was earlier in the week and “I celebrated by eating a lot.”
“There really wasn’t any planning behind it except saying, ‘I’m swimming as far as I can make it.’ We swim every day, but we train and compete to go fast — not to see how far you can swim,” he said. “I’m not really a distance swimmer. It was just something I wanted to do at the end of my senior year.”
Lippert arrived at WC’s natatorium following his last class around lunchtime on Wednesday (Feb. 28). He swam for 4 hours, 28 minutes and 30 seconds for a distance of 16,650 meters (666 lengths of the 25-meter pool). That’s 10.3 miles, the distance from Wilmington to Sabina, from the campus to Interstate 71 — and back!
Teammates, coaches and friends cheered him on at various times throughout the marathon. His stepfather was there for more than two hours. He swam the first two miles freestyle, which resulted in fogged goggles, so he employed the backstroke for the balance of the exhibition.
“The first five miles were really easy — I was just cruising along,” he said. “After that, I started getting a little sore — and cold.” Indeed, the 80-degree water was not exactly the bathwater warmth of a home pool in August, particularly for swimming such a long distance with a body temperature of about 98.6 degrees when he started.
“At that point, I knew I definitely wanted to swim more than six miles and go at least four hours,” he added. ”But, about every 50 meters, I thought about stopping.”
Late in the afternoon, Lippert finally stopped swimming. He exited the pool to a roar of applause and accolades. “The whole swim team showed up and different people were cheering me on the entire time,” he said. “Trip grilled burgers and kababs for me and everyone else. We were just hanging out and relaxing.”
That team camaraderie has been an attractive and appreciated part of Lippert’s Wilmington College experience since he transferred to WC after spending his freshman year at Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia. Witness the swim team’s table in the TOP (Top of Pyle Student Center) Student Dining Hall.
“I live in the Commons (campus townhouse apartments) so I don’t have to eat meals in the TOP, but swimmers have a table where we eat together and hang out.” He especially enjoys those meals with teammates since he goes home most weekends to see his fiancé.
Breen “loves” having Lippert as a member of his team and the campus community. “Logan is a dedicated student-athlete who has an incredible work ethic — he never backs down from a challenge.” Indeed, Lippert successfully swam his first 800-meter and mile events ever this year.
“The Max Swim effort was his idea and something that I wholeheartedly wanted to support because I knew it was a meaningful way for Logan to end his outstanding athletic career here,” Breen said. “Even with all of his athletic contributions, I think that Logan’s legacy will be the way that he treated others. He is kind, gentle, funny and shows everyone the greatest level of respect. He made the team experience more meaningful for everyone, including the coaching staff!”
The natatorium features a large board with WC swimming program records. Perhaps a new competition category needs to be added — “Logan Lippert Senior Max Swim.”