01
Marathon Swimmer of the Year
Recognizes an outstanding performance on an established open water course or discipline during the 2026 calendar year — a swim with a known route, distance, or precedent to be measured against.
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.
Nominate
Public nominations close December 31, 2026.
- Public NominationsAug 6–Dec 31, 2026
- Finalists AnnouncedPublic + Academy Voting OpensFeb 1, 2027
- Public + Academy Voting ClosesFeb 14, 2027
- Awards CeremonySunday, Feb 28, 2027
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 credible, verifiable swim or expedition that did not exist as a challenge until this swimmer attempted it — no prior record, because nobody had conceived of this exact swim before.
03
Para Open Water Swimmer of the Year
Recognizes a swimmer with a recognized para-sport classification who excelled in open water swimming during the 2026 calendar year.
04
Community Impact Award
Recognizes an individual whose leadership, service or initiative made open water swimming safer, more accessible, more inclusive or more beneficial to a community during the 2026 calendar year.
How it works
Recognition built on a transparent process
Nominations are reviewed by an independent Advisory Board. The three swimmer categories then proceed to a public vote and a weighted Voting Academy ballot, followed by WOWSA Board ratification. The Community Impact Award does not hold a public vote; the WOWSA Board selects the winner directly from the Advisory Board's finalists.
- 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 three swimmer categories move to a public vote and a weighted Voting Academy ballot. The Community Impact Award does not have a public vote; it advances directly to WOWSA Board selection.
- IV
Board Ratification
The WOWSA Board formally ratifies the swimmer-category results. For the Community Impact Award, the WOWSA Board selects the winner directly from the Advisory Board's finalists.
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.