Navy swimmer becomes first American to swim length of Mississippi River

This is mile marker 0 on the Mississippi River.

That’s Chris Ring doing something he hasn’t done much of since he set out from the headwaters of the Mississippi in Itasca last spring: not swimming.

The Navy swimmer has spent 181 days and 20 hours calling attention to the sacrifices of Gold Star families by swimming the length of the river.

This afternoon, he made it to the end of the line – 2,350 miles through 10 states. He’s the first American swimmer to accomplish the feat, and only the second human to do so.

MPR All Things Considered host Tom Crann talked with Ring in July.