Nominate Your Favorite Swimmer For The 2019 World Open Water Swimming Woman Of The Year

Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

Last year in a very close online vote, young Polish winter swimmer and channel swimmer Aleksandra Bednarek was voted the 2018 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year among an illustrious group of women.

Anyone can nominate any swimmer, coach, pilot, race director, official, administrator, writer or filmmaker for the 2019 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year by emailing the nominee’s name and a description of their exploits during calendar year 2019 via email to headcoach@openwatersource.com.

As in years past, 2019 saw an incredible number of outstanding swims by an increasing number of outstanding swimmers guided by passionate volunteers and race directors, governed by experienced administrators and officials, and trained by talented coaches all over the world. Open water swimmers continue to elevate the bar in ice swimming, competitive swimming, stage swimming, marathon swimming, winter swimming, channel swimming, circumnavigation swimming, charity swimming, professional swimming, eco-swimming, adventure swimming, and relays

The 2018 nominees included:

* Abhejali Bernardová of the Czech Republic
* Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil
* Barbara Pozzobon of Italy
* Caroline Block, Ph.D. of the USA
* Eilís Burns of Ireland
* Hania Bakuniak of Poland
* Jaimie Monahan of the USA
* Nadezhda Dudina of Russia
* Oksana Beletskaya of Russia
* Paula Selby of the USA
* Pat Gallant-Charette of the USA
* Rondi Davies, Ph.D. of the USA
* Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands
* Teruko Onuki of Japan

“You can nominate anyone for the 2019 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year – provided they are heroic, impressive with exceptional exploits anytime during 2019,” said Steven Munatones. “The nominees should have made a significant impact on the sport locally, nationally, or internationally.

The WOWSA Awards are not necessarily for the best athlete, but are meant to honor the women who best embody the spirit of open water swimming, possess the sense of adventure, tenacity and perseverance that open water swimmers are known for, and have most positively influenced the world of open water swimming in calendar year 2019.

Aleksandra Bednarek is a fiercely passionate and personable pool and open water swimmer who competed all over the world in 2018. The 20-year-old Polish swimmer from Łódź represents the Polish Ogrodnik Team and set two International Winter Swimming Association world records at the 2018 Winter Swimming World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia.

Her world records include the 50m breaststroke (37.89) and 200m breaststroke (3:00.53). Her age group records include the 100m breaststroke (1:27.21). She dominated the breaststroke events on the International Winter Swimming World Cup circuit, racing throughout Poland as well as in Latvia, Russia, United Kingdom, China, Sweden, and Estonia. Aleksandra also completed a Catalina Channel crossing in 12 hours 7 minutes.“

Bednarek joined the following winners of the annual World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year campaign:

* 2008: Edith van Dijk of the Netherlands
* 2009: Poliana Okimoto of Brazil
* 2010: Anne Marie Ward of Ireland
* 2011: Pilar Geijo of Argentina
* 2012: Annaleise Carr of Canada
* 2013: Olga Kozydub of Russia
* 2014: Nataliya Fatyanova, M.D. of Russia
* 2015: Bridgette Hobart Janeczko of U.S.A.
* 2016: Jaimie Monahan of U.S.A.
* 2017: Jaimie Monahan of U.S.A.
* 2018: Aleksandra Bednarek of Poland

The winners were selected by the public in a global online poll.

Email your nominee’s name, age and their open water swimming exploits during calendar year 2019 to headcoach@openwatersource.com.

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