Caroline Block
Dr. Caroline Block is a 35-year-old anthropologist from New York, Honor Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Class of 2022. She is a deaf American open water swimmer who serves as a Marathon Swimming Mentor.
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Open Water Swimming Career Highlights
- On 28 May 2022, she finished the 7.5 km Battle of Carlingford Lough Swim in Ireland in 2:16:49.
- She has completed two Oceans Seven channels.
- She is a member of the Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers Club in Brooklyn, New York.
- She is the current Queen of the California Channel Islands and reigning co-queen of the North Channel.
- She participated in the 2016 Memphremagog Winter Swimming Festival in Newport, Vermont.
- She participated in the 2016 U.S. Winter Swimming Association National Championships in New York City.
- On 1 October 2016, she completed a 45.9 km 20 Bridges Manhattan Swim in New York in 8 hours 48 minutes 19 seconds at the age of 32.
- On 1 August 2016, she completed a 35 km crossing of the North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 14 hours 31 minutes 53 seconds at the age of 32, escorted by Pádraig Mallon of Infinity Channel Swimming and Piloting Services.
- On 14 July 2016, she completed a crossing of the English Channel in 11 hours 52 minutes at the age of 32.
- On 10 October 2015, she completed a 16 km Swim The Suck in 3 hours 48 minutes 4 seconds at the age of 31.
- On 29 August 2015, she completed a 10 km Lake George swim in New York in 3 hours 37 minutes 2 seconds.
- She was nominated for the Barra Award for Most Prolific Overall Year by the Marathon Swimmers Federation in 2016.
- She was nominated for the Solo Swim of the Year by the Marathon Swimmers Federation in 2017.
- On 14 October 2017, she completed a 10 mile (16 km) Verrazano Bridge to Marine Parkway in 3 hours 40 minutes as a test swim for Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers
- On 5 August 2017, she attempted an unprecedented two-way crossing of the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland. Her first leg from Northern Ireland to Scotland was 15 hours 32 minutes 25 seconds. She completed her two-way attempt east of Belfast Lough, Ireland at 11:59:01 pm, traversing a total distance of 88 km in 28 hours 55 minutes 1 second.
- On 11 June 2017, she completed a 51.8 km crossing of Lake George in New York in 19 hours 21 minutes in 59-61°F to set a women's record.
- On 27 May 2017, she finished 61st in the 7.5 km Battle of Carlingford Lough in 1 hour 54 minutes 47 seconds.
- She participated in the 2017 U.S. Winter Swimming Association National Championships in New York City.
- On 11 June 2018, Block swam a 56 km south-to-north crossing of Lake Cayuga in New York in 21 hours 36 minutes.
- On 5 July 2018, Block attempted a two-way crossing of the North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland to Northern Ireland that was aborted after 25 hours 58 minutes and 61.2 km, escorted by Pádraig Mallon of Infinity Channel Swimming and Piloting Services. She successfully completed her third career one-way crossing from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 16 hours 45 minutes 6 seconds on her first leg.
- On 8-9 October 2018, Block became the first woman and second individual overall to swim 44.3 km from Santa Rosa Island to Goleta on the California mainland in 20 hours 36 minutes 49 seconds at the age of 34.
- She was nominated for the 2018 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
- She appeared in the month of January in the 2019 Marathon Swimmers Federation photo calendar.
- She was named one of the World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women in 2019 by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
- On 13 January 2019, she completed a 30.6 km crossing from Oxnard on the California mainland to Santa Cruz Island in the California Channel Islands in 14 hours 56 minutes, escorted by Captain Dawn Brooks and sanctioned by the Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association. She was the first women to complete this crossing.
- She completed a 44.3 km crossing from Santa Rosa Island to Goleta on the California mainland, the first woman to complete this crossing.
- She won the inaugural MSF Monahan Award in February 2019.
- On 31 March 2019, she complete a 10 hour 4 minute crossing of the Anacapa Channel from Oxnard on the California mainland to Anacapa Island, that was also the coldest Santa Barbara Channel swim on record at 55-56°F or 13°C.
- On 13 August 2019, she completed a 35 km crossing of the North Channel in 14 hours 39 minutes 11 seconds for her 4th successful career crossing of the North Channel from 54 28.2 N - 5 31.5 W (start) to 54 50.4 N - 5 7.5 W (finish), ratified under North Channel Swimming rules.
- On 16-18 September 2020, she completed the first two-way crossing of Lake George in New York, swimming 103.6 km in 52 hours 24 minutes.
- She finished 9th overall in the inaugural 33 km DC Marathon Swim in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. in October 2021 in 13 hours 22 minutes.
MSF Core Group
Dr. Block is a member of the MSF Core Group that oversees standards and policies for Marathon Swimmers Federation projects. She is joined by David Barra, Elaine Kornbau Howley, Andrew Malinak, Anthony McCarley, Evan Morrison, Emma Radford, and Sarah Thomas.
2020 WOWSA Awards
The Lake George two-way crossing by Caroline Block, Ph.D. was nominated for the 2020 WOWSA Awards in the World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year category with the following nomination: Lake George has been crossed by marathon swimmers since 1958, but only infrequently to say the least. The 51.8 km Queen of American Lakes is a long, narrow lake in upstate New York. Dr. Caroline Block, the only person to attempt two-way crossings of the [[North Channel] between Northern Ireland and Scotland, took her endurance, willpower and support team to the shores of Lake George to attempt an unprecedented 103.6 km two-way crossing. A tough 52 hour 24 minutes later, Block emerged victorious and smiling. The 36-year-old anthropologist became the first person to attempt and complete a double. For yet another multi-day non-stop marathon swim by a modern-day Renaissance Woman, for pushing herself beyond expectations and setting a world record, and for being so positive, personable and passionate about pioneering new swims, Dr. Caroline Block of the USA is a worthy nominee for the 2020 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year.
2018 WOWSA Awards
Caroline Block was nominated for the 2018 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year for the following nomination: Dr. Caroline Block is an American marathon swimmer who continues to push the boundaries not only for herself, but the entire channel swimming community. An anthropologist on dry land, she pioneered a 55.7 km south-to-north crossing of Lake Cayuga in New York. Although her traverse took 21 hours 36 minutes, it was a mere warm-up for her second attempt of the hardest two-way crossing of the Oceans Seven: a 70 km double of the North Channel. Taking off from Northern Ireland, the 34-year-old finished her first leg in 16 hours 45 minutes - and turned right around to head back, an unfathomable attempt for nearly everyone but herself. After a total swim distance of 61.2 km and 25 hours 58 minutes, Mother Nature won the battle. Her attempt was followed by thousands via her tracker and her effort was inspirational and educational for many more. To culminate her season, she became the first woman and second individual to swim 44.3 km from Santa Rosa Island to the California mainland, finishing in 20 hours 36 minutes. For attempting the most difficult two-way channel crossing in the world again and pushing herself immeasurably before running into impassable tides, for humbly accepting praises and compliments from admiring swimmers worldwide, and for being so positive and passionate about attempting and pioneering unprecedented swims, Dr. Caroline Block of the USA is a worthy nominee for the 2018 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.
2017 WOWSA Awards
Dr. Block was nominated for the 2017 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year by the World Open Water Swimming Association with the following women and nomination:
1. Katherine Batts (Great Britain)
2. Dr. Caroline Block (USA)
3. Arianna Bridi (Italy)
4. Chloë McCardel (Australia)
5. Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil)
6. Pat Gallant-Charette (USA)
7. Ludmila Maller (Russia)
8. Jaimie Monahan (USA)
9. Aurélie Muller (France)
10. Barbara Pozzobón (Italy)
11. Sarah Thomas (USA)
12. Julia Wittig (Germany)
Dr. Caroline Block is an American marathon swimmer who attempted to push the boundaries to the extreme in 2017. An anthropologist on dry land, she takes things to a whole new level in the open water. In addition to participating in the U.S. Winter Swimming Association National Championship early in 2017, she set a new woman’s course record swimming the 52 km length of Lake George in New York in 19 hours 21 minutes and then embarked on a legendary attempt – a two-way crossing of the bitterly cold, jellyfish-strewn North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland. While the best of the best and the most hardened open water swimmers in the world have completed a total of 57 one-way crossings in history, Block followed up on her 2016 North Channel single by attempting the first two-way crossing this August. For swimming 88 km in 12°C water over 28 hours 55 minutes before running into impassable tides, for attempting the most difficult two-way channel crossing in the world, for not relenting until running headlong into insurmountable tides on her return leg, Dr. Caroline Block is a worthy nominee for the 2017 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.
Marathon Swim Stories
She appeared with Shannon House Keegan on Marathon Swim Stories.
External links
- Crewing For Channel Swimmers Who Are Deaf, Blind, or Have No Use of Their Legs
- Jonty Warneken Leads The Para V Charge
- Paul Georgescu, Jessika Robson Have Skin In The Game: Win The Battle of Carlingford Lough Swim
- Andie Nelson Wins DC Marathon Swim
- Class of 2022 Inducted by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in Naples, Italy
- Marathon Swimming Pomp and Circumstance in Napoli and Pompeii
- Dr. Caroline Block Honored by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
- Suzanne Heim-Bowen Wins DC Marathon Swim
- Shannon House Keegan Talks Marathon Swimming Stories
- 2020 WOWSA Awards – World Open Water Swimming Performance Of The Year Nominees
- Jeannie Zappe On Observing Caroline Block On WOWSA Live
- Dr. Caroline Block Swims Lake George Twice
- Vermont Open Water Swimming Hall of Fame on WOWSA Live
- Core Strength Is Key In Marathon Swimming
- Dr. Caroline Block Doubles Down On WOWSA Live
- Pádraig Mallon And Ned Denison Talk About Unbelievable Courage
- The Perfect Open Water Woman
- The Perfect Open Water Man
- Brian Meharg Shares His Perspectives On North Channel Crossings At the 2019 WOWSA Ocean Fest
- 20 Bridges Swim
- Daniel Martinez Lobo Completes The Triple Crown
- Daina Bouquin Wins Four At Winter Swimming Champs
- Wood Martha Swim Fast At Winter Swimming Champs?
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- International Winter Swimming Association Winter Swimming World Cup
- Open Water Swimming
- United States Winter Swimming Association
- Marathon Swimming
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- I Got Stung
- Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming
- Sweet Caroline Crosses The North Channel
- Infinity Channel Swimming
- A Long Night Swimming Across Lake George
- Stephen Carroll Leads Tampa Bay Marathon Swim
- Lake George's Turbulence Is Too Tough In First Year
- When All Eyes Look North
- Blocking Out The Cold
- Marathon Swimmers Federation bio
- 2017 Marathon Swimmers Federation Award Nominees
- Marathon Swimmers Federation 2017 Awards
- Hidden Figures, Not Now, Not Ever
- Crossing of Cayuga Lake, GPS mapping by Marathon Swimmers Federation
- Caroline Keeps On Going, Doing The Unprecedented
- Caroline Block On Her North Channel Double Attempts
- Celebrating Swimmers Of The Santa Barbara Channel
- Are Open Water Swimmers Getting Older And Wiser?
- Marathon Swimmers Federation 2019 Photo Calendar
- A Year With The Marathon Swimmers Federation
- 2019 World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women
- The New York Doctor Becomes A California Queen
