It started as a distraction during the dull days of the pandemic, but four-and-a-half years later, the man dubbed the “Great Lake Jumper” is still going strong. Dan O\u2019Conor, the jumper, started hopping in the lake after his wife snarkily suggested he go “jump in the lake” one day, and he’s done it now more than 1,600 times.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Conor spoke with WGN News on Friday about the jumps and some of the good that has come from them. “It’s just become a part of my daily routine and it really is a great cleanse for the day,” O’Conor said. He added that while some jumps prove more challenging than others, the daily dive continues to help his mental health.<\/p>\n
“The positivity of having [the jump] there every day. ‘OK, I’m going to go jump,’ because that’s the way I start my day and that endorphin rush really, so to speak, cleans out the pipes in my body and I feel alive,” O’Conor said. “And isn’t that what we’re all here to be? To be alive and to be fresh.”<\/p>\n
With over 1,600 jumps under his belt, O’Conor shows no signs of slowing down. His daily routine has become a source of inspiration for many, and he continues to share his story with the world.<\/p>\n
Dan O’Conor’s story is a testament to the power of finding joy in the little things and making the most of a difficult situation. His daily lake jumps have brought him a sense of purpose and fulfillment, and he continues to inspire others to do the same.<\/p>\n
* How many times has Dan O’Conor jumped in the lake? Over 1,600 times.
\n* What inspired Dan O’Conor to start jumping in the lake? His wife suggested he “jump in the lake” as a distraction during the pandemic.
\n* How does jumping in the lake affect Dan O’Conor’s mental health? It helps him with his mental health and provides a sense of clarity and positivity.
\n* Is Dan O’Conor still jumping in the lake 4 years later? Yes, he is still going strong and continues to inspire others with his story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Great Lake Jumper Dan O’Conor Still at It 4 Years Later A Daily Routine Born from a Pandemic Distraction It started as a distraction during the dull days of the pandemic, but four-and-a-half years later, the man dubbed the “Great Lake Jumper” is still going strong. Dan O\u2019Conor, the jumper, started hopping in the lake […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9838","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/snapshot-2025-01-03T175703.929.jpg?w=900&w=900&resize=900,505&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9838"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9838"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9840,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9838\/revisions\/9840"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}