01
Marathon Swimmer of the Year
Recognizes a swimmer who delivered an outstanding marathon swimming achievement during the 2026 calendar year.
Nominations OpenWho will define
Who will define
the next century
of open water?
One hundred years after Gertrude Ederle changed what the world believed possible, the WOWSA Awards recognize the people shaping what comes next.
Eligible achievements: 1 January–31 December 2026
The 2026 cycle
Nominations are open to the global open water community.
- NominationsActive
- FinalistsUpcoming
- VotingUpcoming
- WinnersUpcoming
The awards
Four categories. One standard of excellence.
Each category has published eligibility criteria and a clear list of what nominators should provide.
02
Pioneer Swimmer of the Year
Recognizes a swimmer whose credible and verifiable swim or expedition established a genuinely new open water challenge.
03
Para Open Water Swimmer of the Year
Recognizes a swimmer with an eligible impairment who excelled in open water swimming during the 2026 calendar year.
04
Community Impact Award
Recognizes a person, organization, club, event or initiative whose work created significant and lasting positive change in how people access, experience or engage with open water swimming.
How it works
Recognition built on a transparent process
Nominations are reviewed by an independent Advisory Board, the global community votes publicly, a Voting Academy of past winners and finalists casts weighted ballots, and the WOWSA Board formally ratifies every result.
- I
Eligibility Review
WOWSA checks every nomination against the published category rules, eligibility period and supporting evidence.
- II
Advisory Board
An independent Advisory Board assesses eligible nominations and selects the finalists in each category.
- III
Public and Academy Voting
The global community votes publicly while a Voting Academy of past winners and finalists casts weighted ballots.
- IV
Board Ratification
The WOWSA Board formally ratifies every result before it becomes part of the permanent public record.
Advisory Board, Voting Academy and WOWSA Board members must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and withdraw from decisions where impartiality could reasonably be questioned.
2026 Legacy Honoree
1926—2026
Gertrude Ederle
On 6 August 1926, Gertrude Ederle walked out of the water on the English coast having become the first woman to swim the English Channel — nearly two hours faster than any man before her. New York answered with the largest ticker-tape parade the city had ever staged.
“I have the confidence that I can do it.”
Read the 1926 story
1926 — 2026A century of open water
Nominations are open
Someone you know deserves this recognition.
A nomination takes about ten minutes. Self-nominations are welcome, and every eligible nomination is judged on merit.