Number 20 For A 51-Year-Old Dutch Wonder Woman
51-year-old Irene van der Laan, an Honour Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame from the Netherlands, completed her 20th Faros Maratón, the 16 km pro race in 4 hours 10 minutes.One of the fastest and most durable marathon swimmers in her heyday in the 1980s, van der Laan has been competing on the professional marathon swimming circuit for 3 decades, arguably participating in more marathon swims and competing for greater distance than anyone in history.
Her career has included over 200 marathon swimming competitions where she has transitioned from being coached by her father early in her career to having her daughter Jolina Stap take over the reins in the later part of her career.
Olivier Ervyn, a Belgian who creates spectacular documentary photography, captured van der Laan getting out of her 20th successful completion of the Faros Maratón.
Copyright © 2013 by World Open Water Swimming Association
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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