GOING THE DISTANCE: MISSISSIPPI SWIM DEDICATED TO MS

Nick Irons is swimming where many fear to wade.

At nearly the spot in the Mississippi River where a young Cape Girardeau man drowned last month, Irons leaped into the water from the back of a boat Thursday and began swimming toward Baton Rouge, La. He was a little more than halfway through his 1,500-mile trip from Minneapolis, Minn., to Baton Rouge, La., in a fund-raiser for the Nancy Davis Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.

Irons, 25, who was born in Oklahoma, said his father was diagnosed with MS about 15 years ago. "I've always wanted to do something to help him," Irons said.

So while flying over the Mississippi River on his was back to Los Angeles from visiting his parents for Christmas in Washington D.C., Irons got the idea to swim the river to raise money for research. "I saw it down there and thought it might be sort of fun."

Irons, his brother Andy Irons, Dave Douglas and assorted companions have the goal of raising $5 million for MS research through this effort. Irons said after completing 792 miles, they have raised $100,000. Irons said he has not given up on his goal though.

The swim also has the backing of 20 corporate sponsors, including Nike, PowerBar and Gatorade. The expenses involved in the trip have all been paid by these sponsors allowing all the money Irons and his crew collect to go directly to the Nancy Davis research foundation.

When Irons started the swim about six weeks ago the water temperature in Minnesota was about 30 degrees cooler than it is now in Missouri. He said the 85- to 90-degree water does nothing to refresh him during his half-hour swims.

Irons swims for approximately 30 minutes before taking a break. He'll spend some time on the boat, which remains where he stops, then get back in for another 30 minutes. He said he usually swims about four hours a day and since passing St. Louis, he has logged between 20 and 27 miles a day.

"I don't float," Irons said. "If I were to float down the river I would be floating until the year 2000."

Irons, who estimates he's lost about 10 pounds since starting the journey, said he swims free-style until he comes to a bridge, "then I'll butterfly -- just for something different."

He didn't have to receive permission for the swim but did check with the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corp of Engineers for advice. They told him there were some spots that he should avoid swimming through because of pollution.

One reason why Irons is stopping in Baton Rouge instead of swimming through to New Orleans is because that part of the Mississippi is heavily polluted.

"They call it Cancer Alley," he said.

Irons said he's heard a lot of people say he is crazy for swimming the Mississippi.

"There's a lot of misconceptions about the river," he said. "Most people, from what I've found, really think you're going to die if you go swimming in the river. We're smart about it. We have supports with us and I've been training for this for a long time."

Douglas usually keeps his boat, the Misty Blue II, right with Irons as he's swimming. Andy Irons goes a little farther ahead in an inflatable outboard boat. Both men are looking for areas of potential trouble.

Douglas said spotting eddies and whirlpools is fairly easy and they are easy to avoid. Irons said the wakes from barges are sometimes hard to work through, especially at the end of a swim, and if it gets too rough he will get out of the water.

Douglas said he doesn't anticipate problems when they pass Cairo, Ill., and enter the merge of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. But, he said, if there is rough water they will take Irons out. "A lot of times we'll go out and scout it out to make sure it's OK," Douglas said.

Irons updates a Website at www.ms4ms.com everyday after his swim. Donations can be pledge through that site or by calling 1-888-MS4MS97.