World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women

Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

Yesterday, the Daily News of Open Water Swimming posted the 2015 list of the World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men.

Below is the list of the 2015 World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women, listed alphabetically by last name.

The list includes contemporary aquatic adventurers as well as men who are close to retirement or past their prime (e.g., Greta Andersen). The list does not include women who no longer around (e.g., Gertrude Ederle), but it focuses on women who have done unprecedented swims of note or a significant number of risk-inherent channel, lake or marathon swims, women who proven themselves in relays, competitions and solo swims, and women who have safely escorted or coached many swimmers of various abilities in rough waters, with emphasis on women who have repeatedly swum in waters that are colder, rougher and longer than the English Channel:

“The list includes women from Denmark, USA, Morocco, England, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Netherlands, South Africa, Russia, Argentina, Ireland, Spain, Japan, Jersey, Ireland, Sweden, and India which is indicative that the sense of adventure in the open water is global and inherent among many,” explains Steven Munatones.

“There are thousands of women who have done ocean, lake and river swims that are off the charts. But this list is symbolic of the very best, the crème de la crème. For example, what Sue Oldham and Pat Gallant-Charette are doing in their 60s is remarkable and what Lynne Cox pioneered in Antarctica was mind-boggling. Same with butterflyers like Vicki Keith and Julie Bradshaw who swam butterfly in ridiculously long swims or what how Freda Streeter is helping people achieve their dreams. Their accolades go on and on, but one thing appears to be true: these women like Cindy Cleveland and Anne Marie Ward are quiet, humble innovators in the open water, inspirational to many.”

World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women (presented alphabetically by last name):
1. Greta Andersen, channel/marathon/professional swimmer from Denmark/USA
2. Nadia Ben Bahtane, open water swimmer from Morocco
3. Patti Bauernfeind, marathon/channel/relay swimmer from California, USA
4. Julie Bradshaw MBE, marathon/channel/butterfly swimmer from England
5. Carina Bruwer, marathon/channel/charity event swimmer from South Africa
6. Charlotte Brynn, marathon/channel/ice swimmer and coach from New Zealand
7. Annaleise Carr, marathon/charity event swimmer from Canada
8. Kimberley Chambers, Oceans Seven swimmer from New Zealand
9. Cindy Cleveland, channel/circumnavigation swimmer from California, USA
10. Jackie Cobell, channel/ice swimmer from England
11. Lorna Cochran, open water swimmer from South Africa
12. Lynne Cox, channel/marathon swimmer and ice swimming inspiration from California, USA
13. Melissa Cunningham, channel/marathon/professional swimmer and coach from Australia
14. Pamela Dickson, marathon/channel swimmer from New Zealand
15. Natalie du Toit, Olympic/marathon swimmer from South Africa
16. Michelle Evans-Chase, Ph.D., ocean swimmer/neuropsychosocial researcher from USA
17. Nataliya Fatyanova, M.D., cold water researcher and doctor from Russia
18. Jennifer Figge, extreme swimmer from Colorado, USA
19. Elizabeth Fry, marathon/channel swimmer and charity event organizer from Connecticut, USA
20. Pat Gallant-Charette, channel/marathon swimmer and charity event organizer from Maine, USA
21. Karen Gaffney, marathon swimmer with Down syndrome from Oregon, USA
22. Elaine Howley, marathon/charity/ice swimmer from Massachusetts, USA
23. Vicki Keith C.M., O. Ont., LLD, ChPC, marathon/channel/butterfly swimmer and coach from Canada
24. Dee Llewellyn, marathon/channel/extreme relay swimmer from England
25. Liane Llewellyn, marathon/channel/extreme relay swimmer from England
26. Marcy MacDonald, DPM, marathon/channel swimmer from Connecticut, USA
27. Michelle Macy, Oceans Seven swimmer from Oregon, USA
28. Colleen Mallon, channel/marathon swimmer from Ireland
29. Susie Maroney, channel/marathon/extreme swimmer from Australia
30. Selina Moreno Pasagali, marathon/channel/extreme swimmer from Spain
31. Yuko Matsuzaki, marathon/extreme/professional swimmer from Japan
32. Chloë McCardel, marathon/channel swimmer and coach from Australia
33. Sally Minty-Gravett, marathon/channel swimmer and coach from Jersey
34. Nuala Moore, marathon/ice swimmer from Ireland
35. Tina Neill, marathon/channel/backstroker/extreme relay swimmer from California, USA
36. Anna-Carin Nordin, Oceans Seven swimmer from Sweden
37. Diana Nyad, marathon/professional/extreme swimmer from California, USA
38. Sue Oldham, ocean/channel swimmer from Australia
39. Penny Palfrey, channel/marathon/extreme swimmer from Australia
40. Charlotte Samuels, marathon/channel swimmer from New York, USA
41. Bhakti Sharma, marathon/ice swimmer from India
42. Susan Simmons, marathon swimmer with Multiple Sclerosis from Canada [photo above]
43. Alison Streeter MBE, Queen of the Channel from England
44. Freda Streeter, marathon/channel swimming coach from England
45. Shelley Taylor-Smith, marathon/channel/professional swimmer and coach from Australia
46. Sarah Thomas, marathon/extreme swimmer from Colorado, USA
47. Wendy Trehiou, marathon/channel/circumnavigation swimmer from Jersey
48. Grace van der Byl, channel/marathon/extreme relay swimmer and waterwoman from California, USA
49. Irene van der Laan, marathon/channel swimmer from the Netherlands
50. Anne Marie Ward, marathon/channel/ice swimmer from Ireland

The list of World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men is here.

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