Caitlin O'Reilly

Caitlin O'Reilly after completing a 19.5 km crossing of the Tsugaru Channel in northern Japan with her escort pilot and crew

Caitlin O'Reilly swimming in the Tsugaru Channel in northern Japan

Caitlin O'Reilly is a 18-year-old swimmer from Auckland, New Zealand representing the Coast Swim Club in Silverdale.

Open Water Swimming Highlights

On 5 July 2022, she crossed the 19.5 km Tsugaru Channel from Aomori Prefecture to Hokkaido in northern Japan in 11 hours 37 minutes 41 seconds at the age of 18.
On 14 February 2019, she completed a 40.4 km crossing of Lake Taupo in New Zealand in 13 hours 27 minutes at the age of 14.
On 17 February 2021, she completed a 28.6 km crossing of the Foveaux Strait in New Zealand in 10 hours 21 minutes 45 seconds at the age of 16 to complete the New Zealand Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, coached by Philip Rush.
On 6 March 2022, she completed a 80.8 km two-way crossing of Lake Taupo in New Zealand in 28 hours 2 minutes to join the 24-Hour Club.
She was honored at the 2018 New Zealand Ultra-Marathon Swim Awards.
She became the youngest female to cross the 23 km Cook Strait between the North Island and South Island of her native New Zealand under the escort of Philip Rush on 24 February 2017 in 7 hours 19 minutes 15 seconds at the age of 12. Her coach is John Gatfield who was 13 years 3 months at the time of his own Cook Strait crossing in 2004.
She won the 5 km Okahu to Kohi race in New Zealand in 2020.
She completed the New Zealand Triple Crown at the age of 16: Cook Strait, Lake Taupō, and Foveaux Strait.