EAST JORDAN- Renee Parks is a Northern Michigan native who lives in Alaska and completed a 17-mile swim from East Jordan to Boyne City, despite having Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She wanted to prove to herself that she was stronger than her ailments and to inspire others dealing with chronic pain. Parks almost gave up multiple times during the close to 12-hour swim, but was motivated by the thought of her children and the people waiting for her at the finish line. She is now looking towards another big goal, possibly swimming the English Channel.
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