Kyle Ploehn, an amputee, calls the rest of the competitors he is swimming against, the 'ABs' ― the able-bodied swimmers.

Those 'ABs' call Kyle Ploehn an inspiration.

While a large group of competitors began the 98th annual Goguac Lake Swim on Saturday, Aug. 9, Ploehn joined them with his crutches left behind on the beach. Ploehn, who has only one leg, competed in the 1.15-mile open water swim, not looking to win, but just to meet the challenge.

"It's a challenge. It's something I wanted to try," said Ploehn, a lifelong resident of Battle Creek. "I can only do this with the help of my support group. I have the help of the folks at the VA (Veteran's Affairs), my fellow veterans, the folks from the Y Center, and my friends. I look at this race as a challenge and I just said to myself, why

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