The 16-year-old Australian swimmer [shown on left with race director Doug Woodring] won the 2014 15 km Clean Half Marathon Swim in Hong Kong in the same race his sister Jemma Freeman won the women’s division.
The next year at the age of 17, he completed a fast 9 hour 10 minute crossing of the English Channel. This year, he continues his rapid pace. In June, he won the 45.8 km 20 Bridges Manhattan Swim in 6 hours 55 minutes.
On July 13th, he completed a Catalina Channel crossing from Santa Catalina Island to the Southern California mainland in a 8 hours 47 minutes.
At the age of 19, he became the fourth youngest individual to achieve the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming [behind 16-year-old American Charlotte Samuels, 17-year-old Indian Prabhat Koli, and 18-year-old Australian Lachlan Hinds.
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. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.