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Margaret Park
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Revision as of 10:34, 8 September 2020 by Ned Denison (talk | contribs) (→Open Water Swimming Highlights)
Margaret Park, an inductee of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Class of 2000
From left Honorees Tom Park, Margaret Park and George Park in the last 1960s at the awards event after a race in Lac Simone
Margaret Park from Canada (7 January 1941) was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2000. Her six siblings also swam. She grew up watching her brothers complete in great marathon races at the CNE and Atlantic City Around the Island Swim and later coached other marathon swimmers like Dennis Matuch in Guaymas Mexico.
Open Water Swimming Highlights[edit]
- She swam in the 1960s with three successful marathon swimming brothers.
- In the 10-mile CNE Hamilton Marathon Swim, 41 swimmers started and only 9 finished: Margaret was the first woman and two of her brothers (Tom Park and George Park) also finished.
- Her other major swims were 45 km in the Saguenay River (twice - once in each direction)
- She competed in a 10-mile Quebec City swim.
- She competed in swims in Lac Simon and Lac St. Clair in Quebec, Canada.
- She completed twice the 24 Heures La Tuque in Quebec, Canada - once when her partner retired early.
- In a two-person relay race at the Expo 67 Montreal in Canada, Margaret was the only woman and paired with a stranger. Her teammate vanished after the second hour and Margaret completed the remainder of the 30 hours solo.
- She withdrew twice during the Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean race when he elderly father was unable to continue as crew.
- Unusually, Margaret was the mother of three children during her professional marathon swimming career.
- She once completed a rescue of a 2-year-old baby.
- She coached Dennis Matuch in a 42 km coastal swim in Guaymas, Mexico in 1971.
- She has two brothers, Tom Park and George Park who are also inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as Honor Swimmers in the Class of 1968 and Class of 1978 respectively.
External links[edit]
- Margaret Park Goes Down Memory Lane On WOWSA Live
- Closest, Toughest, Coldest Race Of 1968: Le Marathon du Saguenay
- Three Is A Charm With The Park Family
- George Park Joins Siblings Tom, Sister In Hall Of Fame
- Long Overdue Recognition For George Park
- International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame website
- Best of COW Swimming
- Swimming Canada alumni
- Open water swimming
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- Margaret Park Saves Toddler's Life
