Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. Without a doubt, the greatest service we have witnessed over the decades in the sport of open water swimming is Healthy Athletes or free health screenings for Special Olympics athletes at the quadrennial World Summer Games. The Healthy Athletes program at these Games in Los Angeles have provided seven
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. When the 87 open water swimmers from 35 countries around the world march into the Los Angeles Coliseum amid music and fireworks on July 25th among the other 7,000 athletes and coaches from 177 countries, Stevie Wonder, and First Lady Michele Obama at the Special Olympics World Summer Games, ESPN will
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. Without a doubt, the greatest service we have witnessed over the decades in the sport of open water swimming is Healthy Athletes or free health screenings for Special Olympics athletes at the quadrennial World Summer Games. We first witnessed the sincere passion of the medical and dental volunteers, the
The Olympic 10 km Marathon Swim was accepted as a medal event by the International Olympic Committee in 2005. With a successful launch at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the sport was granted at least two more opportunities to showcase its athletes at the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. And there were other new international
One of the most profound and joyous open water swimming events Open Water Source has witnessed since 1968 was the Special Olympics World Summer Games in the Bay of Marathon near Greece. The intensity of the athletes intensity and their obvious heartfelt appreciation of the competition, their coaches, volunteers and staff made a significant impression on all
While mankind has been swimming purposefully in oceans, seas, lakes and rivers for over three milennia from the South Pacific to the western shores of Africa, the beginning of the modern age of open water swimming is acknowledged by some when Lord Byron swam across the Hellespont in 1810. Nearly two centuries after Lord Byron’s exploit across the strait
On July 1st, 2011, the Special Olympics will hold an open water swimming demonstration event at its 2011 World Summer Games. This exciting development in the world of open water swimming – which truly demonstrates the expanding reach and scope of our sport – will be a 1.5K sea swim, held parallel to the shoreline, for 35 athletes. The race will be held in
