Abhejali Bernardová is a 43-year-old peace runner turned open water swimmer and member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team from Zlin, Czech Republic. She is the 10th person in history, 4th woman and first swimmer from Czech Republic to complete the Oceans Seven channels. She has also achieved the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. As a runner, she has completed a 6-day run, 24-hour runs, and 100 km runs. She was nominated for the 2018 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year by the World Open Water Swimming Association.

Marathon Swimming Career

• She participated in an international 4-person English Channel relay in 2009
• On 8 August 2010, she completed the 26.4 km International Self-Transcendence Marathon-Schwimmen in Lake Zurich in 8 hours 28 minutes at the age of 44.
• On 11 August 2011, she completed the 26.4 km International Self-Transcendence Marathon-Schwimmen in Lake Zurich in 8 hours 54 minutes 45 seconds at the age of 44.
• On 11 July 2011, she swam the 33.5 km English Channel in 14 hours 46 minutes 42 seconds at the age of 44.
• On 24 June 2012, she completed the 45.9 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (MIMS) in 8 hours 28 minutes 46 seconds at the age of 45.
• On 4 August 2014, she completed the 26.4 km International Self-Transcendence Marathon-Schwimmen in Lake Zurich in 9 hours 21 minutes 26 seconds at the age of 46.
• On 16 September 2014, she completed her second Oceans Seven channel by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar in 4 hours 45 minutes at the age of 46.
• On 10 August 2014, she completed the 26.4 km International Self-Transcendence Marathon-Schwimmen in Lake Zurich in 8 hours 56 minutes 15 seconds at the age of 46.
• On 16 September 2014, she was part of a 4-person Sri Chinmoy Golden Jubilee English Channel relay team (16 hours 44 minutes)
• On 26 July 2015, she completed the 26.4 km International Self-Transcendence Marathon-Schwimmen in Lake Zurich in 8 hours 46 minutes 49 seconds at the age of 48.
• On 18 August 2015, she crossed the 32.4 km Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the Southern California mainland in 9 hours 46 minutes 46 minutes at the age of 38.
• On 16 March 2016, she swam 7.4 km from Robben Island to Bloubergstrand in Cape Town, South Africa in 9-11°C water in 2 hours 45 minutes at the age of 49.
• On 11 August 2016, she swam across the 19.6 km Tsugaru Channel from Honshu to Hokkaido in 11 hours 6 minutes at the age of 49.
• On 26 March 2016, she swam across the 42 km Molokai Channel from Molokai Island to Oahu in Hawaii in 21 hours 52 minutes at the age of 40.
• On 15 August 2016, she swam across the 35 km North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland in 10 hours 24 minutes 48 seconds at the age of 40.
• On 24 February 2018, she swam across the 23 km Cook Strait in New Zealand in a time of 14 hours 9 minutes and 48 seconds to become the 10th person in history and first person from the Czech Republic (a landlocked country) – and the first vegetarian – to complete the Oceans Seven
• She was named one of the World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women in 2018 by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
• She was named one of the World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women in 2019 by the World Open Water Swimming Association.

2018 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year Nomination

Abhejali Bernardová is a peace ultrarunner (6-day runs + 24-hour runs + 100 km runs) turned swimmer who promotes endurance sports and self-transcendence via media appearances and speeches to the public and at school. The member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team became the 4th woman to complete the Oceans Seven. After achieving the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, she crossed the English Channel (14 hours 46 minutes), Strait of Gibraltar (4 hours 45 minutes), Catalina Channel (9 hours 46 minutes), Tsugaru Channel (11 hours 6 minutes), Molokai Channel (21 hours 52 minutes), North Channel (10 hours 24 minutes), and Cook Strait (14 hours 9 minutes) between the ages of 34 and 41 to become the first person from the Czech Republic – a landlocked country – to swim across 6 iconic channels, all successful on her first attempt. She organized a record number of swimmers in a new popular 6-hour pool swim in the Czech Republic shortly after her last channel swim. She teaches about the importance of a calm mind for success in the open water and on dryland. For being a Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team ambassador who achieved the Oceans Seven, for continuing to serve as a peace runner, race director and an organizer of extreme sports that gives others an opportunity to experience their own challenges under safe conditions, and for lending a helping hand and friendly smile with a passion for long distance swimming as a mentor for people of all ages and abilities, Abhejali Bernardová of the Czech Republic is a worthy nominee for the 2018 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.