CHICAGO (AP) — Former Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman says he has a fear of water, but it won’t stop him from building a boat and rowing across Lake Michigan for childhood cancer research.

Tillman told the Chicago Tribune he has never built anything before, nor does he have experience as a rower. But he says he likes the craziness of building a 22-foot-long (6.7-meter-long), 5-foot-wide boat and jumping into it with the hope it floats. His plan is to row from St. Joseph, Michigan to Chicago.

Tillman will use his muscles in August to raise money for pediatric cancer research and to financially support families of child cancer patients.

Tillman says he got the idea after chatting with marketing executive Jacob Beckley at a charity gala. Beckley rowed solo across the lake three years ago as a fundraiser for his foundation.

While Tillman says he is terrified of water, it’s a fear he says he can conquer.