Tina Neill is an American marathon swimmer from Carmel Valley, California. She is a member of the 24-hour club and has achieved the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming in both freestyle and backstroke with several records to her name. She is currently the Queen of the Catalina Channel.

Open Water Swimming Career

• In 1998, she completed a 21-mile crossing of Lake Mille Lacs in Minnesota in 10 hours 35 minutes from Isle to Garrison at the age of 32.
• On 23 June 2001, she completed a 45.8 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in New York in 8 hours 7 minutes 29 seconds at the age of 35.
• On 26 July 2003, she completed a 33.8 km crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 11 hours 21 minutes at the age of 37.
• On 5 August 2005 at the age of 39, she set the record for the fastest backstroke crossing of the English Channel in 13 hours 22 minutes (which is faster than the average English Channel time of 13 hours 33 minutes).
• On 6 August 2006, she completed the 26.4 km Sri Chinmoy Marathon Swim Rapperswil-Zurich in Lake Zurich, Switzerland in 8 hours 2 minutes at the age of 40.
• On 12 August 2006, she completed a 34.8 km crossing of Loch Lomond in Scotland in 11 hours 12 minutes 33 seconds at the age of 40, only 6 days after the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Swim Rapperswil-Zurich.
• On 23 July 2007, she completed a 20.2-mile (32.3 km) crossing of the Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the Southern California mainland in 9 hours 26 minutes 45 seconds at the age of 41.
• On 9 July 2008, she completed a 64.6 km two-way crossing of the Catalina Channel between Santa Catalina Island and the Southern California mainland in 22 hours 2 minutes 46 seconds (first leg in 10 hours 40 minutes 12 seconds from Santa Catalina Island to the Southern California mainland + second leg from the Southern California mainland to Santa Catalina Island in 11 hours 22 minutes 34 seconds) at the age of 42.
• On 25 July 2008, she completed a 20.2-mile (32.3 km) crossing of the Catalina Channel from the Santa Catalina Island to the Southern California mainland in 10 hours 37 minutes 42 seconds (swimming backstroke) at the age of 42. It remains the fastest backstroke crossing in history, set only 16 days after her two-way crossing.
• In early May 2011, she completed a tandem swim with Forrest Nelson across the Pailolo Channel between the islands of Maui and Molokai in 6 hours 5 minutes at the age of 45.
• In early May 2011, she completed a tandem swim with Forrest Nelson across the Kalohi Channel between the islands of Lanai and Molokai in 4 hours 25 minutes at the age of 45.
• In early May 2011, she completed a tandem swim with Forrest Nelson across the Maui Channel (Auau Channel between the islands of Maui and Lanai in 5 hours 38 minutes at the age of 45. This was her third career crossing of the Maui Channel.
• On 11 May 2011, she completed a 42 km crossing of the Molokai Channel from Molokai Island to Oahu in 17 hours 17 minutes in a tandem swim with Forrest Nelson. This was her fourth channel crossing in the state of Hawaii within 8 days, achieved at the age of 45
• On 15 July 2011, she completed a 19-mile (30.5 km) crossing of the Santa Cruz Channel from Santa Cruz Island to Silver Stand Beach on the California [[mainland] in 10 hours 32 minutes at the age of 45.
• In 2012, she completed the 17-mile (27.3 km) Kaulakahi Channel from Kauai to Niihau in the state of Hawaii in 17 hours 17 minutes at the age of 46.
• On 23 June 2012, she completed the 28.5-mile (45.8 km) Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in backstroke in 8 hours 37 minutes at the age of 46. She is the only person to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming in both freestyle and backstroke.
• On 25 July 2012, she swam and served as the captain of the HTC Relay, a six-member team with Forrest Nelson, Emily Evans, Steve Lowe, Kent Nicholas, and Mike Mitchell that set a new course record of 25 hours 48 minutes from San Clemente Island, around the western edge of Catalina Island, to the Southern California mainland at Cabrillo Beach. The HTC Relay broke the record of the Swim for Hope relay for the 52 statute mile channel swim that was sanctioned by the Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association.
• On 6 September 2012, she was the first person to complete a crossing of the San Clemente Channel from San Clemente Island to the California mainland in 28 hours 41 minutes over the 52-mile (83.6 km) course at the age of 46. This swim was one of the reasons why she was nominated for the World Open Water Swimming Association‘s World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year in 2012.
• On 10-13 July 2013, she swam on Team FTD that included Forrest Nelson, Becky Jackman-Beeler, Mike Mitchell, Kent Nicholas, and Emily Evans that completed an unprecedented 6-way Catalina Channel crossing in 61 hours 7 minutes. The team was escorted by John Pittman on the vessel Outrider with observers including Carol Sing, Donald Van Cleve, and Adam Moine. Source: Evan Morrison of the Marathon Swimmers Forum on 13 July 2013.
• On 4 September 2014, she completed a 32.3 km crossing from the Southern California mainland to Santa Catalina Island in 13 hours 27 minutes 48 seconds (swimming backstroke) at the age of 48.
• On 6 September 2014, she completed a 32.3 km crossing from Santa Catalina Island to the Southern California mainland in 10 hours 33 minutes 43 seconds at the age of 48.
• She is the Queen of the Catalina Channel with six career crossings.
• On 31 August 2015, she completed a 34.2 km crossing of Lake Tahoe in 11 hours 18 minutes at the age of 49.
• She completed a 16-mile backstroke crossing of Lake Berryessa in northern California in 9 hours 42 minutes.
• She completed a 21-mile crossing between the states of Arizona and California when she swam from Colorado River Highway 40 Bridge in Arizona to London Bridge, Havasu City in California in 7 hours 2 minutes.
• In 2015, she swam on the California Screamin’ Relay with Forrest Nelson, Kent Nicholas, Ernie Hoftyzer, Emily Evans, and Melodee Nugent when the team swam from Doctor’s Cove on Santa Catalina Island around Santa Catalina Island to around Santa Barbara Island to return around the remaining part of Santa Catalina Island to finish at the Isthmus in 51 hours 55 minutes.
• She is a lifetime member of the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation.
• She is twice member of the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.

Honors and Awards

• Neill won the Marathon Swimmers Federation Solo Swim of the Year in 2012.
• Neill was nominated for the 2012 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year award. Her World Open Water Swimming Association award reads, Look at Tina Neill and nothing hints at records. Talk to Tina Neill and nothing she says hints of greatness. But the introverted, humble explorer of the raw potential of the human spirit has been making waves in the open water throughout her career. In her own quiet way, Neill loudly proved once again how uniquely special she is. She hit the lumpy water at night, battled the elements far from shore, and finished the next night, completing an unprecedented 28 hour 41 minute crossing of the 52-mile (83.6 km) San Clemente Channel. Like her record-setting backstroke swims in the England and Catalina Channels, she efficiently funneled her talents and enthralled her crew with her strength, stamina and speed. For her quiet nature despite swims that scream volumes, for always remaining under the radar despite record-setting exploits, for the pure genius of her aquatic talents, Tina Neill is a worthy nominee for the 2012 WOWSA Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.
• Neill was named to the list of 2015 World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women by the World Open Water Swimming Association.

2017 World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women

Neill was named to the list of 2017 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 3. 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 7. 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) 30. Jaimie Monahan, ice/winter/marathon/channel swimmer from the USA 31. Nuala Moore, marathon/ice swimmer, second, author and lecturer from Ireland 32. Victoria Mori, ice/winter/professional marathon swimmer from Argentina 33. Tina Neill, marathon/channel/backstroker/extreme relay swimmer from the USA 34. Anna-Carin Nordin, Oceans Seven/ice swimmer from Sweden 35. Renata Nováková, ice/winter swimmer from the Czech Republic 36. Magda Okurková, ice/winter swimmer from the Czech Republic 37. Penny Palfrey, channel/marathon/extreme swimmer from Australia 38. Ranie Pearce, marathon/channel swimmer from the USA 39. 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