Last September, James Jonsson became the first person to successfully swim the full length of Utah Lake. Starting at the mouth of Goshen Bay and finishing at the American Fork Marina, Jonsson’s 20+ mile swim lasted more than 10 hours. I spoke with Jonsson this week about his officially recognized swim. Here is an edited version of our interview:
Utahlake.gov: Tell us about yourself.
James Jonsson: I am 50 years old and live in South Jordan. I grew up in Hawaii and moved to Utah 19 years ago for work. I am married with 5 kids, two of which still live at home.
How long have you been swimming?
As long as I can remember. My dad was a competitive swimmer and was a big influence on me. I became very active in long distance ocean racing and in 1989 I became the 2nd person to successfully cross the Pailolo Channel between the island of Maui and Molokai.
Why Utah Lake?
When I moved to Utah I got bored with the pool and missed my long ocean swims so I stopped swimming for a few years. Then I realized that I was getting out of shape and there were lakes around here so I started back up. At about this same time I started looking for bigger local lakes to swim so I did my research on Utah Lake and realized that no one had ever done the length. There is at least one who has done the width but never the length, so I decided to go for it. I did my recon on the lake and found that the longest straight line would be 20.42 miles from Goshen Bay to the boat ramp at American Fork.
How long did it take you?
I stopped every 45 minutes for a feeding break and aimed for the American Fork boat ramp. The swim took 10 hours and 1 minute.
Knowing it more than most now, how would you describe the lake?
The lake has two distinct personalities; the southern half is very rural and remote and the northern half is urban. I was struck by how beautiful the southern half is. Not many people realize this fact. As such, I have a new appreciation of Utah Lake. It truly is an undiscovered gem.
Anything else you’d like to add?
People seem amazed that I did this with no ill effects from the water and I can tell you that the water was murky but not offensive. In fact, I have been in much worse water than Utah Lake.
Thank you, James.
