I Want To Show Them What Is Possible – Karen Gaffney
Karen Gaffney is a remarkable open water swimmer who has swam nine miles across Lake Tahoe and was part of a relay team to cross the English Channel. Karen was born with Down syndrome, but has also graduated from college and is a passionate advocate via her Karen Gaffney Foundation.Today in Hawaii, Karen will swim from the island of Molokini (between Maui and Lanai) to Wailea Beach as part of the Wailea Molokini Challenge, an event benefiting Best Buddies Hawaii and Ka Lima O Maui. She will begin at Wailea Beach, circumnavigate Molokini and then paddle back, accompanied by famous Hawaii channel swimmer Mike Spalding.
A precocious individual who founded the explains, “I’ve always been good at swimming and it really helps me to stay more alert, especially in high school and college, it helped me stay awake more and more physically fit.”
As a high school student, Gaffney founded the Karen Gaffney Foundation and started The Friends First Network to promote diversity awareness. “I really want people to understand that we’re more alike than we are different. I just want them to know about the tremendous capabilities of people with Down syndrome and I want to show them what is possible for people like me.”
Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source
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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