Open Water Know-how From One Generation To The Next
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. It has always been so in the open water: one generation of swimmers teaches the following generation of open water swimmers.
The mentors range from youngish to older who share their knowledge and passion of the open water with like-minded swimmers.
May Looney, shown above giving advice to niece Bernice Looney who won her debut in the 1947 Canadian National Exhibit one-mile amateur race, was an example of this traditional mentoring.
Looney was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1984 as an Honour Swimmer for her exceptional career during the 1930’s Great Depression era through the late 1940’s. Looney won the 1934 Canadian National Exhibition 5-mile race and participated in several 5-10 mile Canadian National Exhibition marathon swims between 1930-1937 and 1947-1948* when it was considered the premier marathon swimming event for women of that era.
* The race was not held between 1938-1946 during World War II.
Copyright © 2016 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.
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