Endorsements

The MSF Rules of Marathon Swimming are endorsed by the following marathon swimmers and marathon swimming governing bodies.

You may add your name to the endorsers by:

  • Leaving a comment through the MSF Contact Form.
  • Sending a Forum private message to either @evmo or @loneswimmer (requires Forum membership).
  • Adding a comment to the relevant Forum thread.

Individuals

  • Scott Zornig (California, USA). President (2009-2017), Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association.
  • David Barra (New York, USA). Co-Founder & Co-Race Director, 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim. Triple Crown marathon swimmer.
  • Rondi Davies (New York, USA). Co-Founder & Co-Race Director, 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim. Manhattan Island Marathon Swim women’s world record holder. Completed full 8 Bridges stage swim in 2012.
  • Ron Collins (Florida, USA). Founder & Race Director, Tampa Bay Marathon Swim. Triple Crown swimmer. First to swim length of Tampa Bay.
  • Barbara Held (California, USA). Triple Crown swimmer. Voting member, Catalina Channel Swimming Federation.
  • Anthony McCarley (Pennsylvania, USA). English Channel soloist.
  • Greg O’Connor (Massachusetts, USA). Co-Founder, Massachusetts Open-Water Swimming Association. Race Director, Boston Light Swim. Co-world record holder, two-way Boston Light Swim. Catalina Channel & Manhattan Island Marathon Swim soloist.
  • Josh Heynes (Pennsylvania, USA). Founder, Lake Erie Open Water Swimming Association. Lake Erie solo swimmer.
  • Michael Tyson (Washington DC, USA). Dart 10K, Swim the Suck 2012, DC Tri Club Open Water Swim Coach.
  • David Harley (London, UK). English Channel relay swimmer.
  • Mark Robson (United Kingdom). One-way and two-way Lake Windemere solo swimmer.
  • Michael J. Toner (New York, USA). Triple Crown relay swimmer (oldest to complete). Gulf of Messina (solo), Strait of Gibraltar (relay), two-time USMS Open Water Champion.
  • Ted Erikson (Illinois, USA). Honour Swimmer, International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. Two-way English Channel solo swimmer (and former record-holder). World-record holder, Farallon Islands to SF.
  • Lynn Kubasek (California, USA). Catalina Channel & Santa Barbara Channel solo swimmer. Farallon Island relay member. Board member, SBCSA. Member, South End Rowing Club and La Jolla Cove Swim Club.
  • Ian Down (London, United Kingdom). English Channel solo swimmer.
  • Bonnie Schwartz (New York, USA). English Channel and Manhattan Island solo swimmer.
  • Julian Rusinek (California, USA). Catalina Channel & Santa Barbara Channel relay swimmer, first to swim from San Miguel Island to Santa Rosa Island.
  • Raymond Kilz (California, USA).
  • Jason Malick (Delaware, USA). Founder, Cape May Circumnavigation Challenge. Catalina Channel solo swimmer. Solo swims around Seven Mile Island & Absecon Island.
  • George Meenan (Dublin, Ireland), English Channel and Manhattan Island solo swimmer.
  • Theo Schmeeckle (California, USA). Board member, SBCSA. Santa Barbara Channel solo swimmer.
  • Leonard Jansen (Pennsylvania, USA). Boston Light, END-WET, 8 Bridges, Pitonof, and Lake Champlain solo swimmer.
  • Cathy Delneo (California, USA). Swim commissioner emerita, South End Rowing Club. Farallon Island relay member. Int’l Ice Swimming Assoc. member. Lake Champlain solo swimmer.
  • Finbarr Hedderman (Cork, Ireland). English Channel solo & relay swimmer. Member, Sandycove Island Swim Club (SISC).
  • Craig Morrison (Cork, Ireland & Tasmania, Australia). English Channel solo swimmer. Member, SISC.
  • Kieran O’Sullivan (Cork, Ireland) English channel relay swimmer. Member, SISC.
  • Graeme Lowe (Jersey, UK). Triple Crown marathon swimmer. Solo swims: Round Jersey, Jersey-France, Lake Zurich, Lake Windemere.
  • Genevieve Mackwood (Ottawa, Canada). Manhattan Island & Ederle solo swimmer.
  • Dan Simonelli (California, USA). Board member, La Jolla Cove Swim Club.
  • Sylvain Estadieu (Göteborg, Sweden). Two-time English Channel solo swimmer including first butterfly swim across the English Channel by a male.
  • Carol Cashell (Cork, Ireland). Solo swims of Manhattan Island, Lake Zurich, Bere Island. English Channel two-way relay.
  • Paul Hopfensperger (Bury St-Edmunds, UK). Two-time English Channel solo swimmer. FINA World Cup Open Water Grand Prix swimmer. BLDSA Senior & Veteran Race Winner. English Channel relay swimmer.
  • Chris LaFlamme (Dayton, USA), Peaks to Portland 
  • Kerri Lienhard (Switzerland) English Channel Aspirant.
  • Robert Bohane (Cork, Ireland) English Channel solo. Round Valentia record holder, Skelligs to Portmagee.
  • Jonathon Gladstone (Massachusetts, USA), Boston Light Swim.
  • Madhu Nagaraja (Ontario, Canada). English Channel and Lake Ontario solo swimmer.
  • Richard Clifford (New York, USA). Kayaker for Manhattan Island & Ederle world-record swims. Kayaker for Penny Palfrey, Lexie Kelly, and Marcia Cleveland record swims.
  • Angela Harris (Cork, Ireland) Sandycove Island Swimming Club
  • Jamie Patrick (California, USA). 2011 World Open Water Swimming Association Man of the Year. Founder, Lake Tahoe Swimming Society. Strait of Gibraltar solo swimmer. Adventure swimmer.
  • John Humenik (New York, USA). Manhattan Island and Ederle solo swimmer.
  • Chris Blakeslee “El Sharko” (California, USA). English Channel solo swimmer. Member, South End Rowing Club. Co-Founder & President, Tomales Bay White Shark Swimming Assoc. & Bubble Cap Channel Swimmers Assoc. Lifetime waterman.
  • Mandy Mackleworth (Guernsey, Channel Islands). English Channel solo.
  • Kelley Prebil (California, USA). Aspiring marathon swimmer.
  • Barton Cobb (Florida, USA). Tampa Bay Marathon Swim.
  • Tom Ball (California, USA). Santa Barbara Channel solo. Ventura Deep Six Relay.
  • Gábor Molnár (Hungary, Ireland). Triple Crown marathon swimmer.
  • Robert Kane (California, USA). South End Rowing Club member. Aspiring marathon swimmer.
  • Mallory Mead (California, USA). Triple Crown marathon swimmer. FINA Grand Prix professional circuit.
  • Paul Lundgren (California, USA). Catalina Channel solo.
  • Hadar Aviram (California, USA). Solo swim of Sea of Galilee.
  • Daniel Foster (Ontario, Canada) Lake Ontario solo swim. 21-year veteran swim coach.
  • Brian Lanahan
  • Sylvia Lacock Marino (California, USA). South End Rowing Club member. English Channel relay.
  • Josh Sale (California, USA). South End Rowing Club member.
  • Suzie Dods (California, USA). Solo swims of English Channel, Catalina Channel, Lake Tahoe (length & width), Swim the Suck, Great Salt Lake, 8 Bridges, Coronado Island, Pennock Island, Portland Bridges, Maratona de Due Mare (Sicily). English Channel relay. Member, South End Rowing Club and Dolphin Club. Director, 24 Hour Aquatic Park Swim Relay.
  • Geoff Wilson (WA, Australia). English Channel, Rottnest Island, & Manhattan Island solo swimmer. Rottnest two-way.
  • Caitlin Rosen (New York, USA). Manhattan Island & 8 Bridges solo swimmer, Kingdom Swim. CIBBOWS member & former advisory board member.
  • Tobias Frenz. 10km Dragon Island, Mallorca, 15km Cold Half Swim, Hong Kong, 15km Clean Half Swim, Hong Kong, 20km Lake Argyle Swim, 25km Cabrera Channel, Mallorca; 30km Giants of the Bay Swim, Melbourne, 43km End-Wet Swim, North Dakota
  • Anne Cleveland (California, USA). Honour Swimmer, International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. Two-way English Channel & Catalina Channel solo swimmer. Swim coach
  • Kelley Schall (California, USA). Catalina Channel & Santa Barbara Channel relay swimmer.
  • Cristian Vergara (New York, USA). Executive Director, CIBBOWS. Solo swims of English Channel, Manhattan Island, Straits of Gibraltar, & Straits of Magellan. Two-way crossing of Beagle Channel. Bering Strait Relay member.
  • Jacques Tuset (Montpellier, France) English Channel solo, Strait of Gibraltar solo, Strait of Beltquerung solo and Marathon swim races : Capri-Napoli, Manhattan Island, Gulf of Messina, Gulf of Toroneos, Zurich lake, Marathon IJsselmeer
  • Owen O’Keefe (Fermoy, Ireland). Solo swims of English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Round Jersey, Fermoy to Youghal.
  • Bryn Dymott (United Kingdom).
  • Tom McGann (New York, USA). Coney Island Polar Bears. Swimmer & volunteer for NYC Swim events.
  • Dianna Shuster (California, USA). 2013 swim commissioner, South End Rowing Club. Santa Barbara Channel relay swimmer.
  • Scott Tapley (California, USA). Santa Barbara Channel solo swimmer.
  • Jim Alabiso (Florida, USA). Race director, Swim Across St Johns River.
  • Melissa Braisted Nordquist (Washington, USA). South End Rowing Club member, aspiring marathon swimmer.
  • Haydn Welch (United Kingdom). Two-time English Channel soloist. First-ever English Channel backstroke.
  • Janet Manning (Maryland, USA). Potomac River swim & Kingdom Swim. Lake Tahoe lengthwise.
  • Paul Duffield (BC, Canada). Int’l Ice swimmer.
  • Simon Dominguez (California, USA & Sydney, Australia). Solo lengthwise Lake Tahoe swim. Member, South End Rowing Club, Bondi Icebergs, North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club, Night Train Swimmers.
  • Jill Bunyan (United Kingdom). English Channel relay swimmer. Member: BLDSA, ASA, STA, & MIOS. Swim teacher & coach.
  • Mary Staples (Georgia, USA). Swim the Suck, END-WET solo swimmer.
  • Doug McConnell (Illinois, USA). Solo swims of English Channel, Catalina Channel, Boston Light, & Tampa Bay.
  • Darren Miller (Pennsylvania, USA). Oceans Seven. Triple Crown. Race Director, Three Rivers Marathon Swim.
  • Marcia Cleveland (Illinois, USA). Triple Crown marathon swimmer. Santa Barbara Channel solo. Chicago skyline solo record. Author, Dover Solo.
  • Leticia Flores (Mexico). Manhattan Island & Strait of Gibraltar solo. Two-way English Channel relay, two-way Catalina Channel relay. 8 Bridges. Numerous swims in Mexico.
  • Sarah Thomas (Colorado, USA). Triple Crown marathon swimmer. First two-way Lake Tahoe lengthwise. First two-way Lake Memphremagog.
  • Kevin Williams (Kerry, Ireland). Blennerville to Maharees, Cork to Cobh, English Channel Relay
  • Katherine Watson (California, USA).
  • Gordon Gridley (Utah, USA). English Channel solo, Catalina Channel solo. IISA Ice Mile. Race Director, Great Salt Lake Marathon Swim. President, Salt Lake Open Water.
  • Zoe Sadler (Hampshire, UK). English Channel solo, English Channel relay x 3, Two-way Windermere, 1 lap of Sandycove Island
  • Cherie Edborg (California, USA). Santa Barbara Channel solo swimmer. Board member, SBCSA.
  • Jim Fitzpatrick (California, USA). Triple Crown marathon swimmer. San Clemente Island to mainland relay. Board member, SBCSA.
  • Dave Van Mouwerik (California, USA). Solo swims of Catalina Channel, Lake Tahoe lengthwise, and Lake Siljan, Sweden. Vice President, SBCSA.
  • Neil van der Byl (California, USA). Kayaker for numerous Catalina Channel & other swims.
  • Clare Morrissey (Waterford, Ireland) English Channel relay swimmer, English Channel crew. Swim navigator and pilot.
  • Grace van der Byl (California, USA). Catalina Channel world record holder. 8 Bridges – all stages & record-holder on all 7.  S.C.A.R. Challenge.
  • Tanya MacLean (California, USA & Ontario, Canada). Santa Barbara Channel solo. Catalina Channel & Santa Barbara Channel relay. Former Open Water Chair, Southern Pacific Masters Swimming.
  • Mike Harris (Kinsale, Ireland). Founding member Sandycove Island Swimming Club. Pioneer of Triple Crown of Prison Breaks (Spike, Robben & Alcatraz Islands). Hellespont (x2).
  • Fergal Somerville (Dublin, Ireland). North Channel Solo, English Channel Solo, Aran Islands Swim, IISA Ice Mile, Dublin Bay Two-Way.
  • Ellen Shockro (California & Maine, USA). Over 350 ocean races.
  • Karah Nazor (Tennessee, USA). English Channel solo. Founder & Race Director, Swim the Suck.
  • Bob Needham (Oregon, USA). Catalina, Manhattan Island, and Tampa Bay solo swims.
  • Mo Siegel (New York, USA). Triple Crown marathon swimmer. Sixth person to cross Cape Cod Bay. Arizona SCAR, 8 Bridges, Lake Zurich, Ederle Swim 2x.
  • Rob Kent (Ontario, Canada). Lake Ontario, Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, Swim Around Key West, Tampa Bay Marathon Swim solo swims. 1988 Olympic Trials.  Founder and President of the Lake Ontario Swim Team (LOST Swimming). Founder of Lake Ontario Crossing Organization (LOCO). Founder of the LOST Race.
  • Mauricio Prieto (Barcelona, Spain).
  • Franco Prezioso (Maryland, USA).
  • Stephen Wargo (USA). Lake Erie, Strait of Gibraltar, and Swim Around Key West solo swimmer.
  • Carina Bruwer (Cape Town, South Africa). Solo swims of the English Channel, False Bay, Strait of Gibraltar, Around Robben Island, Toroneos Gulf. 
  • Suzanne Heim-Bowen (San Francisco, CA). San Francisco Dolphin Club, English Channel Solo Swims, Three-Way English Channel Relay Crossing, United States Swimming Long Distance Swimmer of the Year, International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Open Water Swimmer, Six Way Golden Gate Bridge Crossing.
  • David Yudovin (California, USA). Honor Swimmer, International Swimming Hall of Fame. Honour Swimmer, International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. First person to swim Tsugaru Strait. First person to swim from Santa Cruz Island to California. For full list see DavidYudovinChannelSwimmer.com.
  • Chloë McCardel (Melbourne, Australia). 7x English Channel solo swimmer (3x one-way and 2x two-way). Winner, Manhattan Island Marathon Swim. English Channel coach.
  • Paul McQueeney (Melbourne, Australia). English Channel solo swimmer. 
  • Carlos Alvarez (Puerto Rico). Saint John Beach to Beach Power Swin,Swim Around Key West, Turks & Caicos Race for the conch. Semana Nautica Ocean Swim, Santa Barbara, CA,St.Croix Coral Reef Swim. Cruce a Nado Internacinal Bahia de Ponce, PR. Swim Miami, Miami FL.
  • Jesper Damgaard. Founder, Danish Open Water Swimming Association.
  • John Royer (Washington DC, USA). Kingdom Swim, 8 Bridges (Stage 3, Stage 6).
  • Jen Alexander (Vancouver, Canada). First double-crossing of the Northumberland Strait.
  • Kathleen Wilson (Charleston, South Carolina). Race director, Swim Around Charleston.
  • Steve Walker (San Francisco, California).
  • Spencer Schneider (New York, NY).
  • Victoria Rian (Indianapolis, Indiana).
  • Guy Cohen (Israel). Co-Founder, Galilee Marathon Swimming Association.
  • Richard Broer (Netherlands). Owner, [Channel Challenge](http://channelchallenge.nl. IMSHOF executive committee.
  • Grant Wentworth (New York, NY).
  • Jessica Kieras (Oregon, USA).
  • Bogdan Zurbagiu (Romania).
  • Sue Dyson (St. Lucia). Organizer, St. Lucia Channel Swim.
  • Milko van Gool (Netherlands).

Swim Organizers & Local Governing Bodies