WOWSA nominees
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Stellar lineup of WOWSA nominees

Melanie Barratt, Andy Donaldson, Neil Agius and Caitlin O’Reilly among an inspiring array of open water swimmers shortlisted for this year’s WOWSA Awards

The nominees have been announced for this year’s World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) Awards and it’s a stellar line up of some familiar faces from the outdoor swimming world. And some new ones too!

Among the nominees for ‘Man of the Year’ is Scotsman Andy Donaldson, who completed the 45.9 km circumnavigation of Manhattan Island in New York City last year, setting a new record of 5 hours 41 minutes 48 seconds, breaking the previous record by just under 4 minutes.

Read about how Andy Donaldson trains

There’s also 17-year-old Irish swimmer Brian Foster, who became the youngest person to swim the North Channel when he was 16 years old, and Maltese swimmer Neil Agius, who set a new world record for the longest unassisted, current-neutral ocean swim in 2024.

Watch our Q&A with Neil Agius

Caitlin O'Reilly

In the lineup for ‘Woman of the Year’ is New Zealander Caitlin O’Reilly (pictured) who last year became the youngest swimmer in history to complete the Oceans Seven, and British Paralympic athlete and blind open water swimmer Melanie Barratt, who became the first blind woman to successfully swim the English Channel in 2024.

Read about Caitlin O’Reilly’s Oceans Seven challenge

There’s also Mayra Santos, a 45-year-old open water swimmer residing in Santa Cruz, Madeira Island, Portugal, who completed an unprecedented two-way crossing between Santa Cruz Island and Deserta Grande on July 30, 2024.

Read about Mayra Santos’ 60km swim

Amputee swimmer Jonty Warneken is among the shortlist for ‘Adaptive Performance of the Year’. Last year Jonty became the first para-athlete to complete a solo swim around the island of Jersey. Covering 56 kilometers in 11 hours and 33 minutes, Warneken overcame the technical challenges of the route and rough seas, particularly around the northwestern corner of the island.

We’re thrilled that our friends at Henley Swim are among the ‘Event of the Year’ nominees for their Marathon River Swim Series. The new competition brings together three of Europe’s most renowned open water marathons: Le Flow des Gabarriers in France, UltraEbre in Spain, and the Thames Marathon in the UK. The series challenges swimmers to complete all three events within a five-year period to be crowned Marathon River Man or Woman.

Congratulations to all the nominees, you’re ALL winners in our book!

Voting closes for the WOWSA Awards on February 6, 2025.

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Abi writes swimming news stories and features for the Outdoor Swimmer website and manages the social media channels. She loves to swim, run, hike and SUP close to her home in Herefordshire. While she’s a keen wild swimmer, Abi is new to the world of open water events and recently completed her first open water mile. She has previously written for The Guardian, BBC Countryfile Magazine, BBC History Magazine and Ernest Journal.