Open Water Swimming News & Views

Shelley Taylor-Smith reported on Andy Donaldson's journey around the world in his pursuit of the Oceans Seven . " Update on our Aussie Scottish Perth City Swimming Club swimmer is that he is doing well [and was] taken to hospital for assessment. Smart thinking when you consider, he had the flu last week, he started his Molokai Channel [crossing] 30 hours after landing in Hawaii, swam 15 hours 50 minutes in 25.2°C water, experienced sea sickness for four hours, and then swimming into beach to finish, Andy swallowed a jellyfish. He couldn’t swallow properly when he got back on the boat after completing his solo swim...he had had an allergic reaction. So [he was given an] epinephrine injection, an IV drip, and an antihistamine injection. It is a delight to mentor and an absolute delight to see and hear the growth physically mentally emotionally and spiritually with each [of his Oceans Seven swims ." Bill Goding reported his official time as confirmed by esco...

Steven Leitch , swimming under the escort of Captain Matt Buckman , started last night on Molokai Island to swim across the Molokai Channel . The 49-year-old from North Carolina landed 42 km on Oahu 12 hours 54 minutes later, together with his team of Michelle Walker Nault, Livy, Jay, Emmett, and his dog Wallace. He used the crossing to raise money for counseling costs for the foster children of Miracle Hill Ministries . To learn more and to donate, visit here .

The future of flying - and its former crowded past... If the Multicabin® design really comes to fruition, there will be a lot of happy and more restful open water swimmers traveling internationally to their open water swims and channel crossings (across the Cook Strait, English Channel, Catalina Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Tsugaru Channel, Molokai Channel, Travessia do Leme ao Pontal, Sea of Galilee, 20 Bridges Swim, International Self-Transcendence Marathon Swim, Lake Ontario, SCAR, etc.). The elimination of the middle seat on international flights will be a greatly welcomed change. Imagine arriving to your destination not feeling groggy, fatigued, and totally jetlagged. If there are channel swimmers from the Americas, Europe, or Africa interested in attempting a Cook Strait crossing in New Zealand, Air New Zealand will soon offer Skynest, the first sleeping pods in the sky for economy class passengers. Swimmers can catch a few very welcomed hours of restful sleep in a fl...

50-year-old Indian marathon swimmer Srikaanth Viswanathan Bangalore, Karnataka is attempting a 42 km crossing of the Molokai Channel from Molokai to Oahu under the escort of Michael Twigg-Smith with feeder Terri Dietz . With numerous channel crossings and marathon swims under his swim cap, he was conferred with India's highest national adventure award - Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2020 by Hon'ble President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind, for the Water Category in November 2021. He gave a TEDx Manipal Talk on Channeling Your Dreams: Update: Bill Goding reported, " Srikaanth’s swim ended after 12 hours 30 minutes He was approximately halfway. He had jellyfish stings, [facing] strong current, and was fatigued ." Reported by Bill Goding .

All kinds of incredible feats in the open water performed by people over the last several decades have been frequently reported and further analyzed. Long swims. Cold swims. Rough swims. Swims by disabled swimmers, swimmers who overcome cancer and horrific accidents. All remarkable achievements. But there is no tougher swimmer than J. Andrew Walberer, PhD who recently completed a 42 km crossing of the Molokai Channel under the escort of Michael Twigg-Smith . Twigg-Smith reported, " He started at Papohohako Beach on Molokai Island at 5:58 pm last night and finished this morning at 8:47 am at Alan Davis Beach on Oahu ." Walberer, a father of four and a lifelong pool swimmer, admits, “ I enjoy pursuing personal goals outside of work, particularly planning, training, and pursuing athletic challenges " - which include two night-time swims: a 23.3-mile Chicago Skyline Swim in Lake Michigan and a 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel in 9 hours 43 minutes...

Prabhat Koli from Mumbai, India has acccomplished all kinds of achievements in the open water swimming world during his young career. With his latest crossing of the Cook Strait , Koli became the 22nd person to complete the Oceans Seven . Escorted by Donald Dring, observed by Brett Richardson, crewed by Chief Omar Vaquero, and navigated by Corey Fairbairn on March 1st 2023, Koli crossed the Cook Strait from the South Island to the North Island in 8 hours 41 minutes and 5 seconds. Born on July 27th 1999, Koli is the youngest person in history to complete the Oceans Seven at 23 years 7 months and 2 days. His road to success is a long time coming and is due to a constant focus and dedication to his craft. He is the youngest male to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming and was awarded the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 2018 [shown below]. In addition to his Oceans Seven channels, he has completed the 81 km India National Open Water Swimmi...