Open Water Source

www.openwatersource.com

World Open Water Swimming Awards

*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***

Contact: Steven Munatones, Administrator

Phone: +1 (714) 305-7374
Email: headcoach@openwatersource.com

February 24, 2011 – The sport of open water swimming included enthusiasts of all ages, abilities and
backgrounds. Professional marathon swimmers, competitive elite athletes, solo channel swimmers and
relay members challenge the world's waterways in every kind of environment and circumstance, often
pushing themselves to the brink of exhaustion.

The annual World Open Water Swimming Awards celebrates the very best of the global open water
swimming community – dedicated and humble individuals committed to their sport with a quiet, steely
determination. These individuals are a talented group who has succeeded against all odds while
venturing past the shorelines into conditions that are occasionally inhospitable and incredible.

The World Open Water Swimming Awards are voted upon by the public in three separate categories:
Woman of the Year, Man of the Year and Performance of the Year. Previous year's winners include
individuals from the United States, the Netherlands, Cayman Islands, Brazil and Bulgaria –
representing the global allure of the sport.

Marcos Díaz of the Dominican Republic, Annemarie Ward of Ireland and the six California men of the
Ventura Deep Six were recognized by their peers in a global poll for their courage and
accomplishments in the cold, rough water where they faced marine life and outrageously difficult
obstacles. The WOWSA winners were selected for (1) embodying spirit of open water swimming, (2)
possessing the sense of adventure, tenacity and perseverance that open water swimmers are known for,
and (3) most positively influencing the world of open water swimming in 2010.

Marcos Díaz – 2010 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year

The pride of the Dominican Republic circled the globe and won over the hearts of many between May
and September in a unique set of swims. On behalf of the United Nations Millennium Development
Goals, Díaz not only completed five challenging solo swims, but also created bridges between people
of various ages, cultures and backgrounds in his unprecedented Swim Across the Continents project
through his athletic pursuits, charismatic personality, humanitarian vision and ability to move wizened
politicians and wide-eyed children.

With an incredible drive, entrepreneurial spirit and motto, "One Man - Five Continents - Many Voices",
Díaz brought significant global attention to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals that supported
his swims from Papua New Guinea (Oceania) to Indonesia (Asia) (20 kilometers in 4:18), from Yemen

© 2011 by Open Water Source p. 1

 Open Water Source
www.openwatersource.com

(Asia) to Djibouti (Africa) (18.6 kilometers in 4:55), from Spain (Europe) to Morocco (Africa) (22
kilometers in 2:41) and from Alaska (North America) to Big Diomede Island, Russia (Asia) (5
kilometers in 1:05).

Annemarie Ward – 2010 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year

The North (Irish) Channel is renowned for being the toughest channel swim in the world - cold, rough,
filled with jellyfish and fraught with unpredictably rough water and schizophrenic weather. But the
North Channel was also site to the tenacious efforts of 44-year-old Annemarie Ward, a singularly
determined Irish woman who never lost sight of her goal until she reached the other side.

Ward, an unlikely endurance heroine, joined one of the world’s most elite and exclusive marathon
swimming clubs – eleven members of the North Channel club. Her never-say-never 18 hour 59 minute
effort - on her fourth attempt - courageously ended in darkness at 3:35 am.

With successful swims across the English Channel and North Channel under her belt, Ward completely
reversed her previously unhealthful lifestyle – an inspirational story in itself – and is now considered to
be one of the world's most accomplished cold-water channel swimmers. Starting humbly and simply
with a two-mile charity swim years ago, she gradually improved and set her sights on larger goals,
always sought improvement and was deservedly recognized by her peers for reaching the pinnacle of
her sport.

Kieran Fitzgerald recalls, "During her first attempt in August, she swam for four hours in darkness in
horrendous jellyfish conditions. She was swung with over two hundred stings and had to be
hospitalized."

Ventura Deep Six – 2010 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year

The Ventura Deep Six was Beamonesque in its open water swimming relay in the Pacific Ocean. Six
teammates from Ventura, California, U.S.A. shattered the existing world record relay and swam 202
miles (325 kilometers) along the rugged California coast during the coldest winter on record.

Tom Ball, Kurtis Baron, John Chung, Jim McConica, Jim Neitz and Mike Shaffer overcame intense
fog, cold water that got as low as 13°C (56°F), large ocean swells, tremendous chop for four straight
days, gigantic pods of playful dolphin and flesh-eating fish while swimming non-stop for 101 hours
and 39 minutes (4 days, 5 hours and 39 minutes), constantly rotating in one-hour segments in a
traditional English Channel relay format.

Their training and logistical planning in organizing their escort flotilla, including the 135-foot mother
ship, that safely guided them in the open ocean, were essential to their success and help create the
unique conditions for one of the most difficult relay swims in history.

These honorees are representative of the everyday heroes and heroines in the open water throughout the
world and will be honored on June 19th in New York City at the 2011 Global Open Water Swimming
Conference that runs from June 16 – 19.

© 2011 by Open Water Source p. 2

 Open Water Source
www.openwatersource.com

About the World Open Water Swimming Awards

The WOWSA winners are annually voted upon via an online poll at Open Water Source and are
selected among dozens of nominees for (1) embodying spirit of open water swimming, (2) possessing
the sense of adventure, tenacity and perseverance that open water swimmers are known for, and (3)
most positively influencing the world of open water swimming in 2010.

For more information, visit www.openwatersource.com, call Steven Munatones at +1 (714) 305-
7374 or email headcoach@openwatersource.com.

© 2011 by Open Water Source p. 3