The official history of the WOWSA Awards
The WOWSA Awards, today
An independent Advisory Board. A global public vote. A Voting Academy of past honorees. Formal ratification by the WOWSA Board. Here's how recognition works now — and the story of how it got here.
Now ↓ 2008
Official record
This page is the official history of the WOWSA Awards, maintained by the World Open Water Swimming Association, the organization that owns and administers the Awards.
It is compiled from WOWSA's own Awards records. Where a year has an annual record, the year links to it. Corrections and historical documents are welcomed — see about this history and the editorial record.
Today
A fairer, clearer, more inclusive Awards program
Current award categories
- 01Marathon Swimmer of the Year
- 02Pioneer Swimmer of the Year
- 03Para Open Water Swimmer of the Year
- 04Community Impact Award
Why the categories changed
Focused where WOWSA can add the most value
While the WOWSA Awards celebrate and recognize achievement across every form of open water swimming, we also respect the organizations already doing exceptional work within their disciplines.
Rather than duplicate their efforts, WOWSA collaborates with World Aquatics on open water racing and with the International Ice Swimming Association on ice swimming. The WOWSA Awards therefore focus on the areas below, where independent recognition can make the greatest contribution.
- Marathon Swimmer of the Year
- Pioneer Swimmer of the Year
- Para Open Water Swimmer of the Year
- Community Impact Award
How recognition works today
- 01
Published eligibility
- 02
Independent Advisory Board
- 03
Voting Academy + Public Vote
- 04
WOWSA Board ratification
"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."
2024
Governed by a nonprofit board since 2024
On 18 June 2024, WOWSA became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The Awards are overseen by an independent Advisory Board, published eligibility standards, conflict-of-interest requirements, and formal ratification by the WOWSA Board before any result becomes part of the permanent public record.
- Board governance
- Published eligibility
- Conflict-of-interest standards
- Formal ratification
- Permanent public record
2022–2024
A broader, more accountable Awards process
Advisory Board review
Ranked-choice voting
Expanded para recognition
2022 — Voting Academy introduced
- Public nominations
- Academy review
- Finalists
- Weighted result
How para recognition evolved
This lineage tracks the para category specifically. It is not a complete history of how every category evolved.
- Para Performance
- Adaptive Athlete Performance
- Para Open Water Swimmer of the Year
The public-vote era
The community gets a voice
A global public vote opened the Awards to swimmers and supporters around the world. It brought real energy, reach, and participation — and set the stage for adding expert judgment alongside public enthusiasm.
- Public enthusiasm
- Large network, broad reach
- Achievement in context
- Verification, expertise, proportional judgment
2008
A new way to recognize open water achievement
The WOWSA Awards began as a founder-created program celebrating courage, adventure, perseverance, innovation, and service to the sport.
Original categories
- Man of the Year
- Woman of the Year
- Performance of the Year
- Offering of the Year
Recognition beyond race results
About this history and editorial record
This history is compiled and maintained by the World Open Water Swimming Association from its own Awards records: published category definitions, nomination and voting records, and the results ratified by the WOWSA Board.
Where dates, category names, or results appear on this page, they are taken from those records and reproduced as they were used at the time. Historical category names are preserved exactly, even where the category has since been renamed or retired.
If you hold historical documents, records, or photographs relating to the WOWSA Awards, or believe something on this page is inaccurate, write to contact@openwaterswimming.com. Verified corrections are made to this page and noted in the editorial record.
Maintained by the World Open Water Swimming Association. Last reviewed: .
The spirit stayed the same. The standard grew stronger.
The WOWSA Awards still exist to recognize extraordinary people. What has changed, over close to two decades, is how that recognition is earned, reviewed, and preserved.