The English Channel has its Half Century Club, an exclusive group of individuals who have successfully crossed the English Channel past their 50th birthday.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the 16-mile, cold-water Cook Strait also has its own Half Century Club, but there are only three marathon swimmers who have qualified to date:
1. Pam Dickson (New Zealand), 55, N-S in 9:23 in 2009 2. Scott Coleman (USA), 53, N-S in 10:27 in 2007 3. David Yudovin (USA), 52, N-S in 9:38 in 2004 (shown above)
Compared to the other channels of the Ocean’s Seven, the Cook Strait is a rather youth-oriented channel with an average age of 25 years for its successful swimmers.
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.