The biggest. The wettest. The wildest. The toughest.
All words that Australian swimmers can live by. 249 of them did at the 2016 First National Lake Argyle Swim in Western Australia.
After registrations closed in a 2-hour sell out, a pair of 40-somethings bested the field in the 10 km and 20 km solo events.
Rob McLachlan, a 45-year-old Northern Territory swimmer, won the 10 km race in 2 hours 50 minutes while 44-year-old Adrian Tonkin, another Northern Territory swimmer, won the 20 km race in 5 hours 45 minutes.
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.