Welcome to Virgoworld Ventures Blog

Chris Ring is a 28-year-old U.S. Navy combat veteran attempting to accomplish one of the hardest missions of his life. It’s a mission that doesn’t involve combat boots or camouflage — in fact it only requires a wetsuit.
That’s because Chris Ring is currently attempting to become the first American to ever swim the length of the Mississippi River, and he’s doing it all for a cause: to honor the families of the men and women who have lost their life in service.
RELATED: Navy veteran becomes first blind kayaker to paddle length of the Grand Canyon
Ring is attempting to swim the 2,552-mile stretch in conjunction with Legacies Alive, a nonprofit dedicated to what they call “Gold Star Families.” Those families are tied to the Families of the Fallen program, part of the United Service Organization, that provides support systems for grieving families after their loved ones die in service.
Along his swim, Ring is meeting with Gold Star families and helping them connect with other Gold Star families in their area.
“I got the idea to do the swim about a year ago when Mike Viti, one of Legacies Alive’s cofounders, was walking across America to honor all those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Ring told GrindTV from a spot just south of St. Louis. “Mike is a close friend of mine, and he walked a kilometer for every person who died in the Global War on Terrorism, and went from Seattle to San Diego to Savannah, Georgia to Baltimore.”
At the time of Viti’s trek, Ring was still an active duty military member with half a year left on his service. As a combat veteran of 10 years with deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Ring wanted a way to replicate what Mike was doing. So, he came up with his Mississippi river swim challenge titled “Swim for Their Sacrifice.”
“I took 60 days out of the Navy to get this challenge started,” said Ring. “I knew I was transitioning out, but I didn’t want to put my service behind me.”
After planning it, Ring, who hails from Lewisburg, Tennessee, went to work training for it.
“I never was a swimmer or anything like that,” said Ring. “I mean I was comfortable in the water, but I wasn’t a marathon swimmer or anything.”
So he spent four months training with a friend who did long-distance swimming. He worked on becoming more efficient in the water to train for the 6 to 10 hours he spends everyday swimming nonstop. Covering roughly 14 miles a day, he’s now made it halfway through the six-month swim from his start on June 6 in Minnesota, but claims the swimming hasn’t even been the hardest part for him.
“The toughest part of the swim is honestly the mental aspect,” Ring said. “It’s a much more mental and emotional endeavor than anything else. I’m in the water for maybe nine hours, but then I get out and meet with these families who have lost everything, and I have to be sharp. I can’t be tired and grumpy. It’s hard because it’s an emotional rollercoaster, when I’m sitting with the families and seeing the tears and seeing how much they are hurting.”
RELATED: Grassroots organization uses bikes to help veterans with PTSD
And yet, despite that emotional toll, Ring says those experiences are also the most rewarding part of the journey.
“I have a support kayak, and every time we stop to meet a Gold Star family, we encourage them to write the name of the loved one they lost on the kayak,” Ring said. “Anytime I’m feeling a bit down or the swimming is getting tough, I just look at that kayak and realize what I’m going through could never compare to what they’ve experienced.”
As he continues to meet new families, Legacies Alive continues to find new ways to provide those families with support. The foundation goes to work building memorials in the hometowns of fallen soldiers to commemorate their legacies. It also organizes events and gatherings so that families can grieve together. Ring says that more than anything, it’s these interactions that the families crave.
“The best part of the trip has been meeting all the families for the first time, and having them up and hug me and tell me a story about the loved ones they’ve lost.” said Ring. “Ultimately the stories are what they cherish the most. They’re afraid people will forget their stories.”
And when asked how it will feel to become the only American to ever swim the Mississippi, Ring seems nonplussed.
“I haven’t thought about becoming first American to swim the Mississippi. I’ve never really thought of it as an achievement, more as a way to further Legacies Alive,” Ring said, before continuing. “But I guess it will be pretty cool. It seems like it’s hard to be the first to do anything these days.