Elaine Burrows-Dillane, a member of the Tralee Bay Swimming Club, was the first woman to swim 18.6 km from the Lock Gates at Blennerville, Co. Kerry to Sandy Bay, The Maharees, Co., Ireland in 2018 in 6 hours 28 minutes, and the first woman to swim 16 km from Blennerville to Fenit and back in Ireland.
But it was her 14 hour 54 minute crossing of the 35 km North Channel from Portpatrick, Scotland to Donaghadee, Northern Ireland in July 2021 where her legacy was more firmly etched in the annals of open water swimming.
With her North Channel crossing, the 50-year-old Burrows-Dillane became the first woman to complete the Irish Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
The Irish Triple Crown was just announced in July 2021 and is governed by the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association.
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Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.
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