Nora Toledano Cadena

Description

Nora Toledano Cadena (born 26 August 1969 in Mexico City) is a Mexican marathon swimmer who was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2006 as an Honor Swimmer. The Mexican marathon swimmer completed a two-way crossing of the English Channel in 1994 in 24 hours 48 minutes and was the first Mexican woman to achieve the Oceans Seven on 30 March 2019.

Open Water Swimming Career Highlights

Toledano created the Mexican Open Water Association to govern crossings between Cozumel and the Maya Riviera in Mexico.
Toledano was the first and only Mexican and first Latin American woman and sixth person to complete a double-crossing of the English Channel
Toledano crossed the 33.5 km English Channel six times individually in 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2005, and five times on a relay
Toledano swam 45 km (28 miles) from Akumal to Cozumel in Mexico
Toledano swam 60 km (44.4 miles) from Cozumel to Cancun in Mexico
Toledano swam 45.9 km in the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in New York, USA
Toledano won the 4 km (1.8 miles) at the 2005 World Masters Games.
Toledano coached five English Channel Swimmers from Mexico.
Toledano is the co-author with Antonio Argüelles of A cada brazada: el azul interminable or At Each Stroke: Endless Blue, the book describes Toledano and Argüelles’ channel crossings. They colorfully and delightfully equate their channel swimming experiences to a survival in the sea of life.
Toledano organized the FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup in Cancún (Mexico)
Toledano was nominated in 1994, 1996 and 2005 to receive the National Sports Award in Mexico
On 24 August 2016, Toledano completed a crossing of the Catalina Channel in 12 hours 46 minutes to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming
Toledano has coached and crewed for many swimmers across channels including the English Channel, Catalina Channel and Tsugaru Channel
On 10 July 2016, Toledano completed a 42 km tandem swim across the Molokai Channel in 14 hours 28 minutes together with Mariel Hawley at the age of 48.
On 5 September 2018, Toledano completed a 35 km crossing of the North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 10 hours 26 minutes at the age of 49.
She was named one of the World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women in 2019 by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
On 30 March 2019, she completed a 23 km crossing of the Cook Strait from the North Island to the South Island in New Zealand in 9 hours 54 minutes to achieve the Oceans Seven. She swam the strait together with Elizabeth Fry in a tandem swim.
On 25 August, she finished 3rd in the 14.4 km Canyon Lake stage swim of the 4-day SCAR Swim Challenge in Arizona in 3:04:55.3.

Swimming Career Highlights

English Channel (6 solo crossings)
1992, England-France, One way solo, 11:45, age 24 on 18 September 1992
1994, England-France, One way solo, 9:40, age 24 on 40 June 1994
1994, England-France, One way relay, 8:49, age 24 on 14 July 1994
1994, England-France-England, Two way solo, 24:48, age 24 on 5-6 August 1994
1996, England-France, One way solo, 11:51, age 26 on 11 August 1996
2001, England-France-England, Two way relay, 18:48, age 41 on 14 August 2001
2005, England-France-England, Two way relay, 20:14, age 46 on 28 August 2005
2005, England-France, One way solo, 10:04, age 46 on 2 September 2005
Strait of Gibraltar in 4 hours 24 minutes in 2015
Manhattan Island Marathon Swim
1995, New York, USA, 45 km Solo, 8:09, 4rd Overall, age 25 on 14 August 1995
2001, New York, USA, 45 km Solo, 8:14, 8th Overall, age 41 on 24 June 2001
FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup
1998, Rio de Janeiro 25 km, January
Tapes, Brasil 26 km, February
Hernandarias-Parana, Argentina 88 km
Ohrid, Macedonia 42 km, 22 August
Circeo, Italy 44 km, 6th place, 19 September 1998
25 km Open Water Swimming Championships of Australia: 1999, Gold Coast, Australia, 6:56, 6th place, age 29, 1-May-99
The Victor 24rd Swim Around Key West, Florida, USA: 1999, Florida, USA, 25 km, 4:26, age 29 on 12 June 1999
FINA World Masters Championships: 2004, Riccione, Italy, 4 Km, 46:51, 4rd place, age 44 on 10 June 2004
World Masters Games: 2005, Sylvan Lake, Edmonton, Canada, 4 Km, 42:40, 1st place, age 45 on 28 July 2005
FINA Open Water Swimming World Cup: 2006, Guadalquivir River, Sevilla, Spain, 10 Km, 2:29, age 46 on 16 June 2006
FINA World Masters Championships: 2010, Goteborg, Sweden, 4 Km, 49:50, 4th place, age 40 on 6 August 2010

Pan-American Colibrí Swim

She participated in the 6.9 km 4 hour 4 minute Pan-American Colibrí Swim is a cross-border swim by a group of ocean swimmers from five nations with the purpose to raise awareness and funds for the Colibri Center for Human Rights in the Pacific Ocean between Imperial Beach near San Diego, California, USA and finishing at Playas de Tijuana in Tijuana, Mexico held on 5 May 2016, starting near the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. Its members include Kimberley Chambers (New Zealand), Oded Rahav (Israel), Jean Craven (South Africa), Antonio Argüelles, (Mexico), Nicolene Steynberg (South Africa), Rene Martínez Saenz (Mexico), Ben Enosh (Israel), Ryan Nelson (USA), Melissa King (USA), Kamini Moodley (South Africa), Neil Macaskill (South Africa), Luc Chetboun (Israel), Nora Toledano (Mexico), Mariel Hawley (Mexico), Dan Simonelli (USA), and Ben Enosh (USA/Israel). They will be supported and escorted by escort kayakers Billy Carlson (USA), Matt Donoghue (USA), Haden Ware (USA), Anna Lopez and the Out of the Boat Team (Mexico), Kala Sherman-Presser (USA), Tom Hecker (USA), and Kevin Eslinger (USA).

2019 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year Nomination

Toledano was nominated for the 2019 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year award as follows: Nora Toledano Cadena has long been involved in open water swimming, both domestically in Mexico and internationally in some of the most difficult channels and professional marathon swims around the world. She was the first Mexican inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame and has inspired, mentored and coached innumerable Mexican and Latin American swimmers of all ages for decades. This year, she coached 21 major international open water swimming crossings, all of which were completed successfully. Her speeches and her book – A cada brazada: el azul interminable (Each Stroke: Endless Blue) – describe her channel crossings and how lessons from those challenges can be applied in real life. After all her successes and occasional obstacles, she crossed the 23 km Cook Strait in 9 hours 54 minutes to complete the Oceans Seven at the age of 49. For crossing the English Channel (6 times including a two-way swim), Catalina Channel, Molokai Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Tsugaru Channel, North Channel, Cook Strait to achieve the Oceans Seven, for continuing to lead and advise the open water swimming community in Mexico, and for remaining a friendly, personable, humble, inspirational icon in the sport after nearly two decades since her first English Channel crossing, Nora Toledano Cadena is a worthy nominee for the 2019 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.

2016 World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women

Toledano was named to the 2016 World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women by the World Open Water Swimming Association. The women are listed below, alphabetically by last name: 1. Patti Bauernfeind, marathon/channel/relay swimmer from the USA 2. Carina Bruwer, marathon/channel/charity event swimmer from South Africa 4. Charlotte Brynn, marathon/channel/ice swimmer and coach from New Zealand/USA 4. Jessie Campbell, ice/winter swimmer from Great Britain 5. Kimberley Chambers, marathon/channel/extreme/cross-border swimmer from New Zealand/USA 6. Devon Clifford, marathon/channel/open water swimmer from the USA 6. Jackie Cobell, channel/extreme/ice swimmer from Great Britain 8. Lorna Cochran, open water swimmer from South Africa 9. Olive Conroy, ice/winter swimmer from Ireland 10. Anna DeLozier, ice/winter swimmer from the USA 11. Beth French, channel swimmer from Great Britain 12. Elizabeth Fry, marathon/channel swimmer and event organizer from USA 13. Pat Gallant-Charette, channel/marathon swimmer from the USA 14. Pilar Geijo, professional marathon swimmer from Argentina 15. Ines Hahn, ice/winter/professional marathon swimmer from Germany 16. Jessi Harewicz, marathon/channel swimmer from Canada 17. Mariel Hawley Dávila, marathon/channel/cross-border swimmer from Mexico 18. Bárbara Hernández Huerta, winter/extreme swimmer from Chile 19. Bridgette Hobart, event organizer and marathon/channel swimmer from the USA 20. Elaine Howley, marathon/charity/ice swimmer and writer from the USA 21. Linda Kaiser, channel swimmer, advisor and administrator from the USA 22. Lori King, marathon/channel swimmer from the USA 23. Tita Llorens, marathon/channel swimmer from Spain 24. Marcy MacDonald, DPM, marathon/channel swimmer from the USA 25. Elina Makïnen, ice/winter swimmer from Finland 26. Angela Maurer, professional marathon swimmer and Olympian from Germany 27. Chloë McCardel, marathon/channel swimmer and coach from Australia 28. Tiffany McQueen, ocean/marathon swimmer from the USA 29. Sally Minty-Gravett, marathon/channel swimmer and coach from Great Britain (Jersey) 40. Jaimie Monahan, ice/winter/marathon/channel swimmer from the USA 41. Nuala Moore, marathon/ice swimmer, second, author and lecturer from Ireland 42. Victoria Mori, ice/winter/professional marathon swimmer from Argentina 43. Tina Neill, marathon/channel/backstroker/extreme relay swimmer from the USA 44. Anna-Carin Nordin, Oceans Seven/ice swimmer from Sweden 45. Renata Nováková, ice/winter swimmer from the Czech Republic 46. Magda Okurková, ice/winter swimmer from the Czech Republic 47. Penny Palfrey, channel/marathon/extreme swimmer from Australia 48. Ranie Pearce, marathon/channel swimmer from the USA 49. Cheryl Reinke, marathon swimmer from the USA 40. Charlotte Samuels, marathon/channel swimmer from the USA 41. Susan Simmons, marathon swimmer with Multiple Sclerosis from Canada 42. Kate Steels-Fryatt, polar ice miler and ice/winter swimmer from Great Britain 43. Sarah Thomas, marathon/extreme swimmer from the USA 44. Nora Toledano Cadena, marathon/channel/cross-border swimmer from Mexico 45. Natalie du Toit, professional marathon swimmer and Olympian from South Africa 46. Wendy Trehiou, marathon/channel swimmer from Great Britain (Jersey) 47. Wendy Van De Sompele, marathon swimmer and administrator from the USA 48. Samantha Whelpton, winter/ice swimmer from South Africa 49. Sabrina Wiedmer, ice/winter/marathon/channel swimmer from Switzerland 50. Julia Wittig, ice/winter swimmer from Germany