Drury Gallagher, already a member of the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame, was also inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Class of 2010 as an Honoree Administrator. Drury, a successful entrepreneur, is a visionary who restarted the Manhattan Island Marathon swim, one of the world’s most popular marathon swims.
Due to his hard-work in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, New York City is now the dynamical hotbed of marathon swimming and open water swimming in the largest city in America. As a pool swimmer, Drury set 27 FINA Masters world record, but his legacy will be rooted in the Manhattan Island Swimming Association that he founded as a memorial to his son, Drury, Jr. who died in a tragic accident.
Drury is leaving one big wake – as an athlete and an open water swimming visionary which now includes his work with Swim Free where he is working towards teaching as many people as possible to learn how to swim and in myriad ways by sharing his love for open water swimming via the Swim Free Angel™.
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.