Ellery McGowan

Ellery McGowan, winner of four titles at the World Winter Swimming Championships

The English Channel course of the Swinging Sixties relay team who consisted of Ellery McGowan, Chris Pitman, Irene Keel, Duncan McCreadie, and Rob Hughes

Ellery McGowan (born 1946) is a 75-year-old open water swimmer and winter swimmer from Tasmania, Australia who is currently the Head of Swimming and Water Polo at Charterhouse School, a boys boarding school in Surrey, England. She obtained her coaching qualifications at the Australian Institute of Sport and represents the South London Swimming Club who serves as the Marathon Swimming Mentor.

Open Water Swimming Career

• In 2005, she was part of the 5-person Guildford Lido Legends relay team that crossed the English Channel.
• On 8 August 2010, she completed the 26.4 km International Self-Transcendence Marathon-Schwimmen in 11 hours 35 minutes 10 seconds at the age of 64.
• She completed the 2012 Ederle Swim in New York (6 hours 18 minutes).
• She competed in the 10 km Eton Swim in 2012.
• She completed the 2013 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim boat assisted at the age of 66.
• She won 9 age-group titles in the 25m, 50m and 100m freestyle at the 2010 and 2012 and 2016 World Winter Swimming Championships in Slovenia, Latvia and Tyumen, respectively.
• She participated in two English Channel relays including leading the 5-person Swinging Sixties team (average age 66 years) that crossed in 13 hours 59 minutes on 23 July 2012.
• She competed in the 2 km Lee Swim.
• She competed in the 3.8 km Seahorse Swim.
• She competed in the 3.8 km River Arun.
• She competed in the 2.3-mile Hampton Court Swim.
• In September 2016, she completed a 30 km Messenian Gulf Swim from Kalamata to Koroni, Greece in 13 hours.
• On 8-9 July 2017, Kathy Batts at 57 years 3 months, Sally Minty-Gravett at 59 years 11 months 24 days, Ellery McGowen at 70 years 10 months 12 days, Chris Pitman at 66 years 23 days, Dee Richards at 62 years 11 months 1 day, and Irene Keel at 76 years 9 months 5 days completed an English Channel relay crossing on 8-9 July 2017 in 15 hours 17 minutes.
• In July 2014, she completed a 26 km crossing of Toroneos Gulf in 11 hours 56 minutes at the age of 67.
• In 2012, she set age group winter swimming world records in the 25m freestyle and 50m freestyle in Latvia.
• In 2018, she set age group winter swimming world records in the 200m freestyle and 100m freestyle in Estonia.
• She finished 24th overall in the 50m butterfly at the IISA 3rd World Championship in Murmansk, Russia in March 2019.
• She will attempt the 25-mile (40.2 km) In Search of Memphre, together with Joan Weisberg Beyerlein on 26-28 August 2020 at the age of 74.
• On 5 February 2020, she won the 70-74 age group at the International Winter Swimming Association world championships in the 450m freestyle event in 11:13.29 in Lake Bled, Slovenia.
• On 6 February 2020, she won the 70-74 age group at the International Winter Swimming Association world championships in the 200m freestyle event in 3:54.97 in Lake Bled, Slovenia.
• She completed the 26.4 km Sri Chinmoy Marathon Swim from Rapperswil to Zurich in Lake Zurich, Switzerland in 2010 in 11 hours 35 minutes 10 seconds, at the age of 63.
  
• She won the 70-74 age group 2019-2020 International Winter Swimming Association World Cup title.
• In May 2022, she completed a 500m swim at the Svalbard Ice Swimming Adventures, held in Svalbard, Norway within the Arctic Circle in -1.00°C water and 0.00°C air temperatures at the age of 75.

External Links

• Marion Joffle Is Absolutely Positively Tough In Negative Temperatures
• Swimming in Svalbard
• Vermont Open Water Swimming Hall of Fame on WOWSA Live
• Larisa Firsova Wins 2019-2020 IWSA World Cup Title
• 2019-2020 International Winter Swimming Association World Cup results
• International Winter Swimming Association
• Open Water Swimming
• Sri Chinmoy Marathon Swim Half Century Club Members
• Alisa Fatum Goes 2 For 2 At International Winter Swimming World Championships
• Alisa Fatum Blasts Fast 200m At International Winter Swimming World Championships
• Swimmer Scout Summary
• Over From Dover English Channel Website
• NYC Swim bio
• When Water Polo And Open Water Swimming Mix
• These Ladies Don't Batt An Eye To Age
• LongSwimsDB profile
• Ellery McGowan Is All Smiles In New York
• Channel Swimming times
• I Could Cry Now When I Think About It
• Ellery McGowan Adds Another 3 World Titles In The Ice
• Eddie Spelling of the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation
• Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation
• Roger Finch And Tracy Clark Sharing Their Passions
• Elina Mäkinen Wins 50m Butterfly World Title In Murmansk