Championing A Catalina Circumnavigational Challenge
Forrest Nelson, waterman extraordinaire, gave Catalina Island a whirl from July 5th – 7th. The well-known night owl and marathon swimmer started his circumnavigation of Santa Catalina Island very late on July 5th and finished shortly after midnight on July 7th.
His official time of 25 hours and 35 minutes established a new record and was only the second time this circumnavigation has been accomplished. Cindy Cleveland had set the bar in 1979 when she became the first person to swim around the island.
Forrest’s strategy was different in his predecessor and the four relays that followed in her wake. The five previous swims swam in the counterclockwise direction while Forrest, true to his calling, was off to the beat of his own drum. [Read More…]
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.
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