Thomas Pembroke
Thomas Pembroke is an Australian open water swimmer and a teacher at St Pius X College in NSW. He is the 13th person in history to complete the Oceans Seven to date.
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2019 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nomination
Pembroke was nominated for the 2019 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year award with the following nomination:
Thomas Pembroke is a teacher and role model on dryland - and does the same while swimming channels around the world. The Australian swimmer and a teacher at St Pius X College became the 13th person and youngest swimmer in history to complete the Oceans Seven. While inspiring the youth under his guidance, he also raises money and awareness for MS Research Australia to help those with multiple sclerosis. He was relentless, continuing to push himself despite an initial DNF in his first attempt across the Tsugaru Channel in Japan. For simultaneously serving as global adventurer, a passionate educator, a young inspiration, for pushing himself in swims between 4 and 15 hours to achieve the Oceans Seven, for being a personable, cheerful humanitarian who selflessly and humbly raises money for various charities on each channel swim, Thomas Pembroke is a worthy nominee for the 2019 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year.
Open Water Swimming Career
- On 15 July 2013, he completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel from England to France to 14 hours 59 minutes.
- On 9 September 2015, he completed a 35 km crossing of the North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 12 hours 10 minutes as a fundraiser to benefit disabled children in Papua New Guinea.
- On 21 June 2016, he completed a 42 km crossing of Molokai to Oahu in Hawaii in 15 hours 27 minutes which he swam to benefit “Kiss Goodbye to MS.”
- On 28 June 2016, he completed a 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the Southern California mainland in 12 hours 2 minutes 40 seconds with dolphins swimming around him.
- On 27 June 2017, he completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 15 hours 19 minutes.
- On 8 October 2017, he attempted a 19.5 km crossing of the Tsugaru Channel in Japan, starting on Honshu, but he was pulled after 11 hours 12 minutes, 8 km from his goal in Hokkaido.
- On 3 May 2018, he completed a 14.2 km tandem swim crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar from Tarifa Island in Spain to Perejil Island in Morocco in 4 hours 18 minutes 7 seconds together with Marty Filipowski, Mark Mallison, and Victor Pineiro.
- On 10 August 2018, he completed a 19.5 km crossing of the Tsugaru Channel from Honshu to Hokkaido in northern Japan in 15 hours 1 minute 30 seconds, starting at 3:03 am and swimming a total distance of 46.3 km in 21℃ water.
- On 14 December 2018, he completed a 23 km crossing of the Cook Strait from North Island to South Island in New Zealand in 6 hours 57 minutes at the age of 29 and completed the Oceans Seven.
- He was named one of the World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men in 2019 by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
Oceans Seven Youth Record
Pembroke became the youngest person to complete the Oceans Seven at the age of 29 years 10 months and 6 days when he crossed the Cook Strait on 14 December 2018. He crossed the Oceans Seven channels over a 5 year 4 month 30 day period at the following ages:
- 24 years 5 months 7 days when he crossed the English Channel between England and France on 15 July 2013.
- 26 years 7 months when he crossed the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland on 8 September 2015.
- 27 years 4 months 14 days when he crossed the Molokai Channel in Hawaii on 22 June 2016.
- 27 years 4 months 21 days when he crossed the Catalina Channel in California on 29 June 2016.
- 29 years 2 months 26 days when he crossed the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco on 4 May 2018.
- 29 years 6 months 2 days when he crossed the Tsugaru Channel in Japan on 10 August 2018.
- 29 years 10 months 6 days when he crossed the Cook Strait in New Zealand on 14 December 2018.
Oceans Seven Swimmers
As of 17 July 2026, 52 humans in history have completed the Oceans Seven:
1st: Stephen Redmond (Ireland)
2nd: Anna-Carin Nordin (Sweden)
3rd: Michelle Macy (USA)
4th: Darren Miller (USA)
5th: Adam Walker (UK)
6th: Kimberley Chambers (New Zealand)
7th: Antonio Argüelles (Mexico)
8th: Ion Lazarenco Tiron (Moldavia/Ireland)
9th: Rohan Dattatrey More (India)
10th: Abhejali Bernardová (Czech Republic)
11th: Cameron Bellamy (South Africa)
12th: Lynton Mortensen (Australia)
13th: Thomas Pembroke (Australia)
14th: Nora Toledano Cadena (Mexico)
15th: Mariel Hawley Davila (Mexico)
16th: André Wiersig (Germany)
17th: Elizabeth Fry (USA)
18th: Attila Mányoki (Hungary)
19th: Jonathan Ratcliffe (UK)
20th: Jorge Crivilles Villanueva (Spain)]
21st: Adrian Sarchet (Guernsey)
22nd: Prabhat Koli (India)
23rd: Dina Levačić (Croatia)
24th: Herman van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
25th: Andy Donaldson (Scotland)
26th: Stephen Junk (Australia)
27th: Kieron Palframan (South Africa)
28th: Bárbara Hernández Huerta (Chile)
29th: Mark Sowerby (Australia)
30th: Paul Georgescu (Romania)
31st: Zach Margolis (USA)
32nd: Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria)
33rd: Nathalia Pohl (Germany)
34th: Caitlin O’Reilly (New Zealand at the age of 20 years 7 months 15 days)
35th: Ryan Utsumi (USA)
36th: Marcia Cleveland (USA)
37th: Eduardo Collazos Valle-Guayo (Peru)
38th: Rob Woodhouse (Australia)
39th: Alessandra Rossi Cima (Brazil)
40th: Bengisu Avci (Turkey)
41st: Simon Olliver (New Zealand)
42nd: Andreas Waschburger (Germany)
43rd: Joanne Norman (Australia)
44th: Paul Leonard (Great Britain)
45th: Gráinne Moss (Ireland)
46th: Karen Ennis (Great Britain)
47th: Rob Lea (USA) who simultaneously achieved history's first Double Sevens
48th: Anshuman Jhingran (India) at 21 years 3 months and 17 days
49th: Joe Zemaitis (USA) the first person to complete the Oceans Seven and the Stillwater 8
50th: Bogusław Ogrodnik (Poland)
51st: Toni Enderli (Switzerland)
52nd: Steve Leitch (USA)
External links
- Kieron Palframan Achieves The Oceans Seven
- Australian Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Class Of 2020/2021
- Thomas Pembroke On The Ability To Do More On WOWSA Live
- Thomas Pembroke Goes 5 For 7 At 29
- Thomas Pembroke Achieves The Oceans Seven
- Nora Toledano Cadena Achieves The Oceans Seven
- Mariel Hawley Dávila Achieves The Oceans Seven
- 2019 WOWSA Award Winners Announced
- Adherbal Treidler de Oliveira Is 2019 World Open Water Swimming Man Of The Year
- Become a Better Version of Yourself with Thomas Pembroke podcast
- Kiss Goodbye to MS With Thomas Pembroke
- Attila Mányoki Completes Oceans Seven With A North Channel Crossing
- Thomas Pembroke Faced Constant Winds And Waves
- Swim 4 A Cure
- Catalina Channel Swimming Federation website
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Open Water Swimming
- Marathon Swimming
- Olympic 10K Marathon Swim
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- I Got Stung
- World Marathon Swimming Association
- Freestyling Feat By Aussie Foursome
- Marathon Swimmers Federation bio
